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RAIL   AND   WATER   SERIES. 
BOOKS    FOR    BOYS. 

BY  KIRK  MUNROE. 


Under  Orders :   THE  STORY  OF  A  YOUNG  REPORTER. 
Prince  Dusty  :  A  STORY  OF  THE  OIL  REGIONS. 
Cab  and  Caboose :  A  STORY  OF  RAILROAD  LIFE. 
The  Coral  Ship :   A  STORY  OF  THE  FLORIDA  REEF. 


Each   i2mo.     Illustrated  $1.21; 

TT  •/ 


ONE  OF  THE  GREAT  OIL  TANKS  HAD  BEEN  STRUCK  BY  LIGHTNING,    AND 
NOW   A   RAGING,  ROARING   MASS   OF    FLAME   SHOT   UP.       (Page  96.) 


RAIL  AND  WATER  SERIES 


PRINCE   DUSTY 


A  STORY  OF  THE  OIL   REGIONS 


KIRK  MUNROE 

AUTHOR    OF    "UNDER    ORDERS,"    "THE    FLAMINGO    FEATHER, 
"DERRICK    STERLING,"  "  DORVMATES," 

"  CAMPMATKS,       etc.,    etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW   YORK  LONDON 

rj  WEST  TWENTY-THIRD  ST.       27  KING  WILLIAM  ST.,  STRAND 

tlbc  iinichrrbockrr  press 

1891 


COPYRIGHT,  1891 

uv 
KIRK  MUNROE 


TTbe  ftnicfcerbocftcr  press,  flew  Ijjorfc 

Electrotyped.  Printed,  and  Bound  by 
G.  1'.  Putnam's  Sons 


CONTENTS. 


I. — A   PRINCE   AND    PRINCESS   Go    IN  SEARCH  OF 

ADVENTURES  .......       i 

II. — A  PRESENT  FROM  A  FAIRY  GOD-MOTHER  .         .       8 
III. — BRACE  BARLOW  THE  "  MOONLIGHTER"       .         .     17 

IV. — A  TORPEDO  MAN'S  PERIL 25 

V. — ARTHUR  AND  His  COUSINS          .         .         .         -33 
VI. — A  GALLANT  RESCUE  AND  ITS  REWARD      .         .     40 

VII. — UXCLE  PHIN'S  PLAN 49 

VIII. — AWAKENED  AT  MIDNIGHT  .         .         .         .         .     58 

IX.— A  HURRIED  FLIGHT 66 

X. — ON  BOARD  THE  ARK 74 

XI. — UNCLE  PHIN'S  DANGER       .         .         .         .         .82 

XII. — A  TORRENT  OF  FLAME        .         .        .         .         -9° 

XIII. — How  THE  ARK  WAS  SAVED         .         .         .         .98 

XIV. — A  CAMP  OF  TRAMPS    .         .         .         .         .         .  107 

XV. — ARTHUR'S  FIGHT  TO  SAVE  RUSTY       .         .         .   115 

XVI. — THE  MEANING  OF  SOME  QUEER  SIGNS        .  123 

XVII. — PLEASANT  DRIFTINGS          .         .         .         .         .130 

XVIII. — THE  ARK  is  STOLEN    .  .  .   139 


1171489 


iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX. — PENNILESS  WANDERERS  IN  A  STRANGE  CITY   .  148 

XX. — A  RAILROAD  EXPERIENCE        ....  154 

XXI. — CARRIED  OFF  IN  A  FREIGHT  CAR    .        .        .  164 

XXII. — SAVING  THE  KEYSTONE  EXPRESS     .         .         .  172 

XXIII. — CROSSING  THE  ALLEGHANIES  ....  182 

XXIV. — A  BRAVE  STRUGGLE  WITH  POVERTY        .        .  189 

XXV. — FINDING  A  HOME 199 

XXVI. — COLONEL  DALE  OF  DALECOURT       .        .        .  207 

XXVII.— A  "  GENUINE  CHUMP  " 216 

XXVIII. — A  FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM          .  224 

XXIX. — LOCATING  AN  OIL  WELL          ....  234 

XXX. — THE  DALE-DUSTIN  MYSTERY  ....  243 

XXXI. — A  BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT     ....  250 

XXXII. — SHOOTING  A  "  DUSTER  "  .        .        .        :        .  259 

XXXIII. — SAVED  BY  THE  SIGN  OF  THE  TRAMP         .         .  266 

XXXIV. — AN  OIL  SCOUT  OUTWITTED     .  .        .  274 

XXXV. — DEVELOPING  AN  OIL  REGION  ....  283 

XXXVI. — ARTHUR  REMEMBERS  His  FRIENDS          .         .  290 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


TAGE 
ONE   OF   THE   GREAT   OIL   TANKS    HAT)    BEEN    STRUCK    BY     LIGHTNING, 

AND  NOW  A  RAGING,  ROARING  MASS  OF  FLAME  SHOT  UP.         Frontispiece 

PRINCE  DUSTY  AND  CYNTHIA  SET  OUT  ON  THEIR  ADVENTURES      .            .  4 

PRINCK  DUSTY  AND  HIS  FAIRY    GODMOTHER 8 

A  HURRIED  FLIGHT  BY  MOONLIGHT 70 

STANDING   STEADILY    IX   THE   MIDDLE   OK   THE   TRACK    HE  SWUNG  HIS 

DANGER  SIGNAL  TO  AND  FRO            .......  l8o 

THE  FAIRY  GODMOTHER  FINDS  PRINCE  DUSTY       .....  Ig8 

WITH  A  MIGHTY  ROAR  LIKE  THAT  OF   THUNDER,   A    DENSE  VOLUME  OF 

GAS  BURST  FORTH            .........  264 

"YES,  THAT  's  SANDY'S  MARK,"  SAID  ONE  OF  THEM,  "  THERE  's  NO 

GOING  BACK  ON  THAT  " 372 


PRINCE  DUSTY 

A   STORY   OF   THE   OIL   REGIONS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS  GO  IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURES. 

TWELVE -YEAR -OLD  Arthur  Dale  Dustin 
did  not  look  the  least  bit  like  a  Prince, 
sitting  perched  on  the  topmost  rail  of  the  zig-zag 
fence  that  bright  September  afternoon.  As  he 
dangled  his  bare  brown  legs  idly,  he  wistfully 
watched  his  cousins  at  the  play  in  which  they 
would  not  allow  him  to  join.  He  loved  to  play 
as  dearly  as  any  other  boy ;  but  somehow  or 
other  he  was  always  left  out  of  their  games  by  the 
boisterous  crew  of  little  Dustins  whom  he  called 
cousins.  He  tried  his  best  to  like  what  they  liked, 


2  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

and  to  be  one  with  them ;  but  something  always 
seemed  to  happen  to  prevent. 

Once  when  they  all  went  to  see  the  well  that 
his  uncle,  John  Dustin,  was  drilling,  deep  down  into 
the  ground,  with  the  hope  of  striking  petroleum, 
they  found  the  men  away,  and,  for  a  few  minutes, 
had  the  place  to  themselves.  Thereupon  Cousin 
Dick,  who  was  two  years  older  than  Arthur,  climbed 
up  the  derrick,  and,  watching  his  chance,  sprang  on 
the  end  of  the  great  walking  beam,  that  was  work 
ing  slowly  up  and  down  with  ponderous  strokes. 
Here  he  rode  on  the  back  of  his  mighty  wooden 
steed  for  a  few  seconds,  while  the  other  children 
shouted  and  clapped  their  hands  with  admiration. 

Then  Dick  came  down  and  dared  Arthur  to  per 
form  the  same  feat ;  but  the  boy  held  back.  He 
was  not  afraid,  not  a  bit  of  it ;  and  even  if  he  had 
been  he  would  gladly  have  done  anything  Dick 
dared  do,  merely  to  win  his  good-will  and  that  of 
the  others.  But  his  Uncle  John  had  forbidden  them 
even  to  go  near  the  derrick  or  the  engine  unless  he 
was  there  to  look  after  them.  The  others  seemed  to 
have  forgotten  this  ;  but  Arthur  remembered  it,  and 
so  refused  to  ride  on  the  walking  beam  because  it 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURES.  3 

would  be  an  act  of  disobedience.  Then  Cousin  Dick 
sneered  at  him,  and  called  him  a  "  'Fraid-cat,"  and  all 
the  others,  except  tender-hearted,  freckle-faced  little 
Cynthia,  took  up  the  cry  and  shouted,  "  'Praid-cat ! 
'Fraid-cat !  "  as  they  crowded  around  him  and  pushed 
him  into  the  derrick. 

Just  then  Uncle  John  returned  and  the  others  ran 
away,  leaving  poor  Arthur,  looking  very  confused 
and  red  in  the  face,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the 
derrick  floor.  Then,  when  his  uncle  in  a  stern  voice 
asked  him  what  he  was  doing  in  that  place  which 
he  had  been  strictly  forbidden  to  enter,  Arthur 
hung  his  head  and  would  not  say  anything ;  for  he 
was  too  brave  a  lad  to  be  a  "tell-tale,"  and  too 
honest  to  tell  a  lie.  So  his  Uncle  John  said  that 
he  was  a  naughty  boy  who  had  led  the  other  chil 
dren  into  mischief,  and  that  he  might  go  right  home 
and  get  into  bed,  and  stay  there  for  the  rest  of  the 
day  as  a  punishment. 

Poor  Arthur  obeyed;  and,  as  he  walked  slowly 
toward  the  only  place  in  the  world  he  could  call  his 
home,  great  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  When 
the  other  children,  who  were  hiding  in  the  bushes, 
saw  them  they  called  out,  "  Cry-baby  !  Cry-baby ! ' 


4  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Only  little  Cynthia  ran  out  and  put  her  arm  about 
his  neck  and  said  she  was  sorry ;  -but  Dick  pulled 
her  roughly  away. 

Another  time  when  Cynthia  asked  Arthur  to 
build  a  house  for  her  dolls,  under  the  roots  of  a 
great  tree  that  had  blown  down  just  on  the  edge  of 
the  woods  back  of  the  house,  he,  being  an  obliging  lit 
tle  soul,  consented  at  once  to  do  so.  Under  the  huge 
mass  of  roots  and  earth  they  played  happily  enough 
at  making  believe  it  was  a  cave,  and  Cynthia  was 
radiant  with  delight  over  the  beautiful  time  they 
were  having.  For  a  little  while  Arthur  experienced 
the  novel  feeling  of  being  perfectly  happy.  Then, 
all  of  a  sudden,  a  shower  of  earth  and  gravel  came 
rattling  down  on  them  from  above,  and  with  it  came  a 
mocking  chorus  of  "  Girl-boy  !  Girl-boy  !  Look  at  the 
girl-boy  playing  with  dolls  !  "  and  little  Cynthia  be 
gan  to  ciy  over  the  ruin  of  her  beautiful  baby-house. 

Upon  this,  with  a  quick  blaze  of  indignation, 
Arthur  picked  up  a  bit  of  stick  and  flung  it  with 
all  his  strength  at  the  tormentors  who  had  brought 
teal's  to  his  little  cousin's  eyes.  It  was  aimed  at  no 
body  in  particular ;  but  it  happened  to  strike  Dick 
on  the  cheek  and  make  a  slight  cut,  from  which  the 


PRINCE  DUSTY  AND  CYNTHIA  SET  OUT  ON  THEIR  ADVENTURES.       (Page  5-) 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURES.  5 

blood  flowed.  Thereupon  the  big  boy  ran  crying 
home  to  his  mother,  and  told  her  that  Arthur  had 
struck  him  with  a  stick,  in  proof  of  which  story  he 
showed  his  bloody  face.  Then  Mrs.  Dustin,  who 
always  acted  upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  took 
down  the  apple  switch  from  over  the  mantel-piece 
and  gave  her  nephew  a  whipping,  which  she  said 
would  be  a  lesson  to  him.  Poor  little  Cynthia  tried 
to  explain  how  it  had  all  happened ;  but  her  mother 
had  no  time  to  listen,  and  only  told  her  and  the  other 
children  to  come  away  from  the  bad  boy,  and  not  go 
near  him  again  that  day. 

Some  days  after  this,  when  all  the  others  had  gone 
on  a  fishing  expedition,  upon  which  they  had  re 
fused  to  let  Arthur  and  Cynthia  accompany  them, 
the  boy  proposed  a  beautiful  plan  to  his  little 
cousin.  He  remembered  the  fairy  tales  his  own 
dear  mother  used  to  read  to  him,  and  now  he  said : 

"  Let  us  make  believe  we  are  a  Prince  and  Prin 
cess,  Cynthia,  and  go  out  into  the  world  in  search  of 
adventures." 

Cynthia  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  what  was 
meant  by  "  adventures " ;  but  she  was  willing  to 
agree  to  anything  that  Arthur  might  propose. 


6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

So  the  two  children  set  forth,  and  nobody  noticed 
them  as  they  went  out  of  the  front  gate  and  walked, 
hand  in  hand,  down  the  dusty  road. 

They  had  not  gone  far  before  they  discovered  a 
poor  little  robin  just  learning  to  fly,  that  had  fallen 
into  a  ditch  by  the  roadside,  where  in  a  few  mo 
ments  more  he  would  have  been  drowned.  Of  course 
they  rescued  him,  and,  while  the  old  mother  and 
father  birds  flew  about  them  uttering  cries  of  dis 
tress  and  begging  them  not  to  hurt  their  baby,  Cyn 
thia  dried  his  wings  and  carefully  wiped  the  mud 
from  his  downy  feathers  with  her  pinafore.  Then 
Arthur  climbed  over  a  fence  and  gently  placed  the 
little  trembling  thing  down  in  the  soft  grass  on  the 
other  side. 

Next  they  found  a  yellow  butterfly,  whose  pretty 
wings  were  all  tangled  in  a  spider's  web.  Of  course 
they  set  him  free,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him 
flutter  joyously  away.  Arthur  said  these  were  beau 
tiful  adventures,  and  both  the  children  looked 
eagerly  forward  to  finding  some  more;  but  they 
walked  nearly  a  mile,  and  were  becoming  very  hot 
and  tired,  before  they  met  with  another. 

All  of  a  sudden,  as  they  were  passing  a  cottage  by 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURES.  f 

the  roadside,  they  were  startled  by  a  deep,  loud 
bark,  and  turning  they  saw  a  big  Newfoundland  dog 
bound  over  the  front  fence,  and  come  dashing  directly 
toward  them.  Now,  while  Arthur  was  very  fond  of 
dogs  that  he  was  acquainted  with,  he  was  also  very 
much  afraid  of  strange  dogs,  especially  big  ones; 
and  his  first  impulse  upon  this  occasion  was  to  run 
away.  Then  he  remembered  that  he  was  a  Prince, 
and  that  princes  were  always  brave.  So  he  told 
Cynthia  to  run  as  fast  as  she  could,  and  hide  in  the 
bushes.  As  she  did  this  the  brave  little  fellow 
turned  a  bold  front,  though  he  was  trembling  in 
every  limb,  toward  the  enemy.  The  next  instant 
the  big  dog  sprang  upon  him,  threw  him  down, 
rolled  him  in  the  dust,  and  then  stood  over  him  wag 
ging  a  bushy  tail,  and  barking  with  delight  at  what 
he  had  done. 


CHAPTER  n. 

A   PRESENT   FROM    A    FAIRY    GOD-MOTHER. 

ARTHUR,  who  thought  lie  was  certainly  to  be 
killed,  shut  his  eyes,  and  for  nearly  a  minute 
lay  perfectly  still.  He  opened  them  on  hearing  a 
trampling  of  hoofs,  a  jingling  of  harness,  and  a  loud 
"  Whoa."  Then,  no  longer  seeing  the  dog,  he  quickly 
scrambled  to  his  feet.  He  was  light  under  the  noses 
of  a  pair  of  splendid  horses,  and  behind  them  was  a 
fine  carriage,  from  which  a  beautiful  lady  was  just 
stepping. 

"  Why,  little  boy,"  she  said,  as  she  took  Arthur's 
hand  and  led  him  away  from  in  front  of  the  horses, 
"  don't  you  know  that  you  came  very  near  being  run 
over  ?  and  that  it  is  dangerous  to  be  playing  out  here 
in  the  middle  of  the  road  ?  Now  run  into  the  house, 
and  ask  your  mother  to  brush  your  clothes,  and  don't 
ever  do  so  again." 

8 


PRINCE  DUSTY  AND   HIS  FAIRY  GODMOTHER.      (Page%.) 


A   PRESENT  FROM  A    FAIRY  GOD-MOTHER.  9 

"But  I  don't  live  here,"  said  Arthur,  lifting  his 
dust-covered  little  face  to  the  gracious  one  bent 
down  to  him.  "  I  live  a  long  way  off,  and  I  'm  a 
Prince,  and  Cynthia  is  a  Princess,  and  we  were  look 
ing  for  adventures,  when  a  big  dog  knocked  me 
down;  but  he  did  n't  hurt  Cynthia,  because  I  de 
fended  her,  the  same  as  princes  do  in  the  stories  my 
own  mamma  used  to  read  to  me." 

"  So  you  are  a  Prince,  are  you  ? "  laughed  the  lady ; 
"then  you  must  be  'Prince  Dusty.'  Well,  if  you 
will  get  into  my  carriage,  and  show  me  the  way,  I 
will  take  you  home  to  your  castle.  But  where  is 
your  Princess  ?  What  did  you  say  her  name  was  ?  " 

u  It  is  Cynthia,"  replied  Arthur,  "  and  there  she 
comes  now." 

As  he  spoke,  poor,  terrified  little  Cynthia  came 
timidly  out  from  the  bushes  where  she  had  been 
hiding,  and  crying  with  fright,  for  the  last  three 
minutes. 

Then  the  beautiful  lady  took  them  both  into  her 
carriage,  and  ordered  the  coachman  to  drive  on, 
while  she  soothed  and  comforted  the  children,  and 
wiped  Arthur's  dusty  face  with  her  own  embroid 
ered  handkerchief. 


IO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

She  looked  curiously  at  him  when  he  told  her  that 
his  name  was  Arthur  Dale  Dustin,  that  his  dearest 
mamma  and  papa  were  dead,  and  that  he  used  to 
live  in  New  York,  but  that  now  he  lived  with  Cyn 
thia's  father  and  mother,  who  were  his  Uncle  John 
and  Aunt  Nancy.  She  asked  him  several  questions 
about  himself ;  but  always  seemed  to  forget  his  name 
and  only  called  him  a  Prince  Dusty." 

When  they  reached  the  Dustin  house  she  kissed 
both  the  children  good-bye,  and  gave  Arthur  a  beau 
tiful  copy  of  Hans  Christian  Andersen's  "Fairy 
Tales,"  that  she  had  in  the  carriage  with  her.  On 
the  fly-leaf  she  wrote,  with  a  tiny  gold  pencil  that 
hung  from  her  watch-chain  :  "To  Prince  Dusty  from 
his  Fairy  God-mother."  Then  she  said  she  must 
hurry  on,  and  drove  away,  leaving  the  children 
standing  by  the  roadside  and  staring  after  the  car 
riage  so  long  as  the  faintest  cloud  of  dust  from  its 
wheels  was  visible. 

As  they  turned  slowly  into  the  front  gate,  and 
walked  toward  the  house,  Arthur  drew  a  long- 

o 

breath  and  said :  "  Cynthia,  that  is  the  very  most 
beautiful  adventure  I  ever  heard  of.  It  's  beauti 
ful  ler  even  than  the  stories  my  own  mamma  used  to 


A   PRESENT  FROM  A    FAIRY  GOD-MOTHER.  II 

tell,  and  I  Ve  got  this  lovely  book  to  show  that  it  is 
all  true." 

Poor  Arthur  was  not  allowed  to  enjoy  the  posses 
sion  of  his  book  very  long,  for  his  Aunt  Nancy,  who 
had  been  alarmed  at  the  children's  disappearance, 
and  now  gave  them  only  bread  and  water  for  their 
dinner,  took  it  from  him,  and  laid  it  on  a  high  shelf, 
saying  that  it  was  altogether  too  handsome  a  book 
for  a  little  boy  to  have. 

Arthur  begged,  and  pleaded  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  keep  his  book, 
claiming  justly  that  it  was  his  very  own,  and  had 
been  given  to  him  to  do  as  he  pleased  with ;  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  His  Aunt  Nancy  only  said  that  she 
would  give  it  to  him  when  the  proper  time  came; 
and  then,  adding  that  she  was  too  busy  now  to  be 
bothered  with  him,  she  bade  him  get  out  of  the 
house,  and  not  let  her  see  him  again  before  sundown. 

So  the  sensitive  little  chap  walked  slowly  away, 
trying  in  vain  to  choke  back  the  indignant  sobs  that 
would  persist  in  making  themselves  heard,  and  feel 
ing  very  bitterly  the  injustice  of  his  Aunt  Nancy's 
action.  He  longed  for  sympathy  in  this  time  of 
trial,  and  for  some  friendly  ear  into  which  he  might 


I2  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

pour  his  griefs.  Even  Cynthia's  company  was  de 
nied  him,  for  she  was  seated  in  the  kitchen  under  her 
mother's  watchful  eye,  taking  slow,  awkward  stitches 
in  the  patchwork,  a  square  of  which  was  her  allotted 
task  for  each  day. 

"  I  '11  find  Uncle  Phin,"  said  Arthur  to  himself, 
"  and  tell  him  all  about  it,  and  perhaps  he  will  some 
how  find  a  way  to  get  my  book  again,  and  then  I  '11 
ask  him  to  take  me  away  from  here,  to  some  place 
where  I  can  keep  it  always." 

Somewhat  cheered  by  having  a  definite  purpose  in 
view,  the  forlorn  little  fellow  started  across  the 
fields  toward  a  distant  wood  lot,  in  which  he  knew 
his  sympathizing  old  friend  and  adviser  was  at  work. 

Uncle  Phin  was  a  white-headed,  simple-hearted, 
old  negro,  who,  some  years  before,  had  been  a  slave 
belonging  to  Colonel  Arthur  Dale,  of  Dalecourt, 
Virginia.  He  had  been  the  constant  attendant,  in 
her  daily  horseback  rides,  of  the  Colonel's  only 
daughter,  the  lovely  Virginia  Dale,  to  whom  her 
father  had  formally  presented  him,  as  a  birthday 
gift,  when  she  was  fifteen  years  old. 

Three  years  later  the  spirited  girl,  refusing  to 
marry  the  man  whom  her  father  had  selected  for  her, 


A    PRESENT  FROM  A    FAIRY  GOD-MOTHER.  13 

ran  away  with  Richard  Dustin,  a  young  Northerner 
recently  graduated  from  a  New  England  university, 
who  had  accepted  a  professorship  in  one  of  the  Vir 
ginia  colleges.  This  marriage  proved  so  terrible  a 
disappointment  to  her  father  that,  in  his  anger,  he 
declared  he  would  never  receive  a  communication 
from  her,  nor  see  her  again,  and  he  never  did.  The 
young  couple,  accompanied  by  the  faithful  Uncle 
Phin,  went  to  New  York.  There  their  only  child,  a 
boy,  named  Arthur  Dale  after  the  grandfather  who 
refused  to  recognize  him,  was  born,  and  there  they 
lived  in  the  greatest  happiness  until  the  child  was 
nearly  eleven  years  old.  Then  the  beautiful  young 
mother  died,  leaving  Richard  Dustin  utterly  heart 
broken.  Soon  afterward  he  removed  with  his  idol 
ized  boy  and  Uncle  Phin,  who  had  filled  the  position 
of  nurse  and  constant  protector  to  Arthur  from  in 
fancy,  to  the  home  of  his  childhood,  a  little  rocky 
farm  in  Northwestern  Pennsylvania. 

He  had  but  one  relative  in  the  world,  a  brother, 
who  lived  near  one  of  the  mushroom-like  towns  that 
sprang  up  during  the  early  days  of  petroleum. 
When,  a  year  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  Richard 
Dustin  was  also  laid  in  the  grave,  it  was  in  the 


I4  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

family  of  this  brother,  John  Dustin,  that  Arthur  and 
Uncle  Phin  found  a  home. 

Richard  Dustin  left  no  property  save  the  rocky 
farm  that  was  too  poor  even  to  support  a  mortgage. 
As  his  brother  John  had  a  large  family,  the  new 
burdens  now  thrust  upon  him  were  not  very  warmly 
welcomed.  In  fact  Mrs.  Dustin  strongly  urged  her 
husband  not  to  receive  them.  She  was  Arthur's 
Aunt  Nancy,  a  hard,  unsympathetic,  overworked 
woman,  who  grudged  every  morsel  of  food  that  the 
new-comers  ate,  and  seemed  to  consider  that  every 
thing  given  to  Arthur  was  just  so  much  stolen  from 
her  own  children. 

Uncle  Phin,  it  is  true,  worked  faithfully  to  do 
what  he  could  toward  earning  the  bread  eaten 
by  himself  and  his  "lil  Marse,"  as  he  persisted  in 
calling  Arthur,  but  he  was  old  and  feeble,  and  the 
best  that  he  could  do  did  not  amount  to  much. 
The  scanty,  but  neat,  city-made  wardrobe  that  Ar 
thur  brought  with  him  to  his  new  home,  had  not 
been  replenished  by  a  single  garment,  and  now  the 
boy's  clothes  were  shabby  and  outgrown  to  such 
a  degree,  that  his  mother's  heart  would  have  ached 
could  she  have  seen  him. 


A    PRESENT  FROM  A    FAIRY  GOD-MOTHER.  I  5 

Although  he  was  a  thoughtful,  imaginative  child, 
he  was  remarkably  strong  and  active  for  his  age. 
He  had  learned  to  read  and  write  at  his  mother's 
knee,  and  his  father  had,  during  the  last  year  of  his 
life,  found  his  only  pleasure  in  planning  and  direct 
ing  the  boy's  education.  Arthur  was  therefore  as 
far  in  advance  of  his  cousins  in  this  respect  as  he 
was  in  refinement  and  ideas  of  honor.  He  was  so 
very  different  from  them  that,  though  he  tried  hard 
to  love  them  and  make  them  love  him,  they,  with  the 
exception  of  little  Cynthia,  to  whom  he  was  an  ideal 
of  perfection,  united  in  cordially  disliking  him. 

This  dislike  was  clearly  shown,  and  resulted  in 
many  a  heartache  and  many  an  unjust  punishment 
to  the  lonely  orphan  boy.  Many  a  night  he  slipped 
from  his  little  cot  bed  in  the  back  shed,  and  creep 
ing  to  where  Uncle  Phin  slept  on  a  hay-mow  in  the 
barn,  poured  his  troubles  with  bitter  tears  into  the 
sympathetic  ears  of  the  old  negro. 

Then  the  faithful  soul  would  open  wide  his  arms, 
and  nestling  the  fair  head  of  his  "  lil  Marse  "  against 
his  broad  bosom,  would  soothe  and  comfort  him 
with  gentle  croonings  and  quaint  quavering  planta 
tion  melodies.  His  singing  was  always  accompanied 


1 6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

by  a  slow  rocking  motion  of  the  body,  and  finally 
the  blue,  tear-swollen  eyes  would  close,  and  the  boy 
would  drop  into  a  sleep  full  of  beautiful  dreams, 
in  which  he  always  saw  his  own  dear  father  and 
mother.  Then  Uncle  Phin's  frosted  head  would 
droop  lower  and  lower,  until  he  too  was  asleep  and 
dreaming  of  his  long  ago  cabin  home  under  the 
magnolia  trees  of  old  Virginia.  Thus  these  two 
would  comfort  each  other  until  morning. 

Now,  choking  with  a  sense  of  injustice  and  wrong 
at  the  hands  of  his  Aunt  Nancy,  little  Prince  Dusty 
fled  across  the  fields  in  search  of  this  friend.  He 
was  filled  with  the  determination  to  beg  Uncle  Phin 
to  take  him  away  from  that  hated  place,  to  some 
other  where  they  might  live  happily  together  for 
always  and  always. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BRACE  BARLOW  THE  MOONLIGHTER. 

BESIDES  Uncle  Phin  and  Cynthia,  Arthur  had 
one  other  friend  whom  he  seldom  saw  now, 
but  whom  he  was  always  glad  to  meet.  This  was 
Brace  Barlow,  a  stalwart,  good-natured,  young 
fellow,  about  twenty-five  years  old,  who  seemed  so 
big  and  strong  to  the  little  boy,  that  the  latter 
called  him  his  "  dear  giant."  He  worked  for 
Arthur's  uncle  when  the  boy  first  came  to  live 
with  the  Dustins,  and  had  immediately  taken  a 
great  fancy  to  the  gentle  little  fellow.  He  taught 
Arthur  to  ride  horseback,  to  drive  a  team,  and  to 
swim,  and  was  always  ready  to  tell  him  stories  of 
adventures  in  the  oil  region.  Besides  these  things, 
he  took  pains  patiently  to  explain  where  the  oil  came 
from,  and  how  wells  were  drilled,  deep  down  into 
the  earth  to  its  hiding-places. 

2  I7 


1 8  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Some  months  before  the  time  with  which  this 
story  opens,  Brace  Barlow  left  Mr.  Dustin's  employ, 
and,  much  to  Arthur's  dismay,  became  a  "moon 
lighter." 

Now  to  understand  what  a  "  moonlighter "  is, 
one  must  know  at  least  as  much  as  Arthur  did  about 
oil  wells.  They  are  holes  about  the  size  of  an  ordi 
nary  stove-pipe,  bored,  by  means  of  immensely  heavy 
iron  drills,  hundreds  and  sometimes  thousands  of 
feet  into  the  earth,  until  they  reach  the  layer  of 
porous  sandstone  that  holds  the  oil,  just  as  a  sponge 
holds  water. 

With  the  oil  in  this  sandstone  are  vast  quantities 
of  gas,  that  exert  an  enormous  pressure  upon  it ; 
and  the  moment  an  opening  is  made  to  where  it  is, 
this  gas  forces  the  oil  to  the  surface,  often  driving  it 
forth  in  great  spurts  and  fountain-like  jets.  Such  a 
well  is  called  a  "  gusher,"  and  from  it  the  oil  flows 
for  days,  weeks,  and  sometimes  for  years.  After 
a  while,  however,  the  supply  of  oil  or  gas,  or  both, 
becomes  exhausted,  so  that  the  stream  no  longer 
rises  above  the  mouth  of  the  well.  Then  a  pump  is 
used,  and  by  means  of  it  the  oil  is  pumped  up,  just 
as  water  is  from  an  ordinary  well.  But  the  supply 


BRACE  BARLOW  THE  MOONLIGHTER.  19 

of  oil  always  decreases,  until,  by  and  by,  the  pump 
no  longer  brings  it  up  in  paying  quantities. 

For  some  years  after  the  discovery  of  oil,  these 
exhausted  wells  were  abandoned,  and  their  owners 
sunk  new  ones  in  other  places.  At  length,  however, 
a  wise  man  who  had  studied  the  situation  very  care 
fully,  concluded  that  if,  by  any  means,  the  oil-bearing 
rock  could  be  shattered  for  a  considerable  distance 
around  the  bottom  of  these  old  wells,  the  flow  of  oil 
might  be  increased,  and  it  might  again  be  produced 
from  them  in  paying  quantities.  So  he  invented  a 
torpedo  that  could  be  exploded  at  any  required 
depth  in  a  well.  It  was  simply  a  long  tin  tube, 
closed  at  the  lower  end,  and  filled  with  nitro-glycer- 
ine.  This  is  one  of  the  most  terrible  explosives  ever 
discovered  ;  and  though  it  is  only  ordinary  sweet 
glycerine,  such  as  is  used  for  chapped  faces  and 
hands,  mixed  with  nitric  acid,  it  is  ten  times  more 
powerful  than  gunpowder,  and  explodes  upon  receiv 
ing  a  veiy  slight  shock  or  blow. 

A  torpedo  of  this  kind,  lowered  to  the  bottom  of 
an  oil  well,  and  exploded  by  means  of  a  sharp- 
pointed  iron  weight  dropped  upon  it,  shatters  a  large 
area  of  oil-bearing  rock,  and  the  oil  or  gas,  comes 


20  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

rushing  to  the  surface  as  when  the  well  was  first 
opened.  This  operation  is  called  "  shooting  a  well " ; 
the  lowering  of  a  torpedo  into  position,  a  thousand 
feet  or  more  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  is  called 
"  placing  a  shot,"  and  the  men  who  undertake  this 
dangerous  business  are  called  "torpedo  men"  or 
"  well-shooters." 

The  person  who  invented  this  process  of  well-shoot 
ing,  and  obtained  a  patent  on  it,  charged  so  much  for 
the  use  of  his  torpedoes  that  to  shoot  a  well  was  an 
expensive  undertaking.  Many  oil  producers  thought 
they  could  not  afford  it,  or  that  their  exhausted 
wells  were  not  worth  the  further  expenditure  of  so 
much  money.  Under  these  circumstances  a  class  of 
reckless,  daring  fellows  sprang  into  existence,  who 
made  a  business  of  manufacturing  torpedoes,  and 
secretly  shooting  wells  without  paying  the  inventor 
the  royalty  to  which  his  patent  entitled  him.  Thus 
they  were  able  to  do  the  work  much  more  cheaply 
than  the  regular  torpedo  men,  and  a  great  number 
of  well  owners  were  willing  to  employ  them  for  the 
sake  of  what  money  they  would  thus  save. 

As  these  men  generally  worked  at  night  they 
were  called  "moonlighters,"  and  many  thrilling 


BRACE  BARLOW  THE   MOONLIGHTER.  21 

tales  of  the  desperate  risks  run  by  them,  are  still 
told  in  the  oil  regions.  The  inventor  of  the  tor 
pedo,  who  was  the  only  man  having  a  legal  light 
to  use  it,  was  of  course  most  anxious  to  detect  and 
punish  these  "moonlighters,"  and  for  this  purpose 
he  employed  a  number  of  spies.  These  spies,  or 
detectives,  were  generally  mounted  on  fleet  horses, 
and  whenever  they  discovered  a  "  moonlighter " 
driving  along  the  lonely  roads,  with  his  load  of 
nitro-glycerine,  they  gave  chase  to  him.  Then  he 
would  whip  up  his  spirited  team,  and  drive  away  at 
full  speed,  reckless  of  consequences,  and  only  intent 
upon  escaping  from  his  pursuers. 

Thus  it  often  happened  that  people  sleeping  in 
the  vicinity  of  those  quiet  mountain  roads  were 
awakened  at  night  by  the  sound  of  galloping  horses, 
the  rattle  of  a  light  wagon,  and  the  shouts  of  its 
pursuers.  They  would  hold  their  breath  and  wait 
in  anxious  suspense  until  the  sounds  died  away, 
happy  if  they  did  not  hear  the  awful  roar  of  an 
explosion,  that  meant  instant  death  to  all  who  were 
anywhere  near  that  ill-fated  wagon. 

When  it  js  remembered  that  such  an  explosion  could 
be  caused  by  the  breaking  of  a  wheel,  the  upsetting 


22  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

of  the  wagon,  or  even  its  sudden  striking  against  a 
rock  or  stump,  and  that  such  an  accident  would 
result  in  the  instantaneous  and  complete  disappear 
ance  of  men,  horses,  wagon,  and  everything  within 
reach  of  the  awful  stuff,  it  will  be  understood  what 
terrible  risks  the  "  moonlighters "  ran  in  pursuit  of 
their  illegal  business,  and  what  reckless  men  they 
were.  As  the  patent  on  oil-well  torpedoes  expired 
some  years  ago,  and  anybody  can  now  use  them  who 
chooses  to  do  so,  there  are  no  longer  any  "  moon 
lighter,"  but  at  the  time  of  this  story  they  were 
numerous,  and  Arthur's  friend,  Brace  Barlow,  was 
one  of  the  most  daring  of  them  all. 

Tojiave  his  "  dear  giant "  engage  in  a  pursuit  at 
once  so  wrong  and  so  dangerous  was  a  great  grief  to 
the  honest,  loving  little  soul,  and  at  every  oppor 
tunity  he  pleaded  with  Brace  to  give  it  up.  But 
the  young  man  would  only  laugh,  saying  that  he 
had  as  much  right  to  shoot  wells  and  risk  his  life  as 
anybody  else,  and  that  it  was  the  easiest  way  of 
making  money  he  knew  of. 

At  length,  however,  about  daylight  one  morning, 
he  came  to  the  Dustin  house,  bruised,  bleeding,  and 
with  an  awe-stricken  look  on  his  usually  merry  face. 


BRACE   BARLOW  THE   MOONLIGHTER.  23 

Waking  his  little  friend,  he  said  he  had  come  to  tell 
him  that  his  moonlighting  days  were  over,  and  that 
hereafter  he  was  to  be  an  honest  well-shooter,  in  the 
service  of  the  rightful  owner  of  the  torpedo  patent. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  ! "  cried  the  boy,  "  only  I  wish 
you  would  work  at  something  else,  and  never  touch 
the  awful  glycerine  again." 

"  I  can't  give  it  up  entirely,  little  one,"  replied 
Brace.  "  Its  veiy  danger  makes  it  exciting,  and  any 
other  life  would  seem  tame  after  it." 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur,  "  if  you  must  be  one,  I  am 
glad  you  are  going  to  be  an  honest  torpedo  man. 
But,  *  dear  giant,'  are  you  hurt  ?  What  makes  you 
look  so  queer  ? " 

Then  Brace  told  him  that  about  an  hour  before, 
he  had  been  driving  quietly  along,  with  fifty  quarts 
of  mtro-glycerine  stowed  snugly  under  his  buggy 
seat,  toward  a  well  that  he  was  to  shoot  at  daylight, 
when  the  sound  of  galloping  hoofs  gave  warning 
that  a  detective  was  on  his  track.  He  instantly 
whipped  up  his  horses,  and,  as  they  sprang  forward, 
his  light  buggy  was  nearly  upset  by  striking  some 
obstacle,  and  he  was  thrown  to  the  ground  with  such 
force  as  to  be  partially  stunned.  As  he  lay  there 


24  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  detective  dashed  past  without  noticing  him,  and 
overtaking  the  runaway  team  a  minute  later  proba 
bly  tried  to  stop  them.  They  must  have  swerved  to 
one  side,  the  buggy  had  undoubtedly  been  upset, 
and  a  terrific  explosion  instantly  followed.  When 
Brace  reached  the  spot  no  trace  of  man,  horses,  or 
wagon,  was  to  be  found,  and  only  a  great  hole  in  the 
ground  marked  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe. 

The  boy  shuddered  as  he  listened  to  this  story, 
and  for  days  afterward  his  sunny  face  was  clouded 
by  its  memory.  Still  he  found  some  comfort  in 
reflecting  that  nothing  less  than  some  such  terrible 
lesson  would  have  made  an  honest  torpedo  man  of 
his  dear  "  moonlighter,"  with  whom,  from  that  time 
forward,  his  friendship  became  stronger  than  ever. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ON  the  day  that  Arthur  played  at  being  a 
Prince,  and  was  on  his  way  to  unfold  the 
sad  result  of  that  experience  to  Uncle  Phin,  he  met 
Brace  Barlow  driving  out  of  an  old  wood  road  that 
led  to  his  nitro-glycerine  magazine,  hidden  in  the 
loneliest  depths  of  the  forest. 

At  sight  of  his  little  friend,  Brace  reiifed  in  his 
horses  and  stopped  for  a  moment's  chat  with  him. 

In  spite  of  the  young  man's  warning  that  he  had 
a  load  of  the  "  stuff "  under  the  seat,  Arthur  ran 
forward  and  clambered  up  into  the  wagon  beside 
him. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  '  dear  giant '  !  "  he 
began  impulsively,  "  because "  Here  he  paused. 

He  had  been  about  to  pour  into  this  friend's  ear 
all  his  troubles,  and  make  a  complaint  against  his 

25 


26  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Aunt  Nancy  ;  but  it  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that 
by  so  doing  he  would  be  only  acting  the  part  of  a 
tale-bearer,  which  his  father  had  taught  him  most 
heartily  to  despise.  Telling  things  to  Uncle  Phin 
was  different.  He  was  quite  certain  that  Brace 
could  not  help  him  in  his  present  trouble,  and  so, 
when  the  latter  asked  with  a  smile,  "  Because  what, 
little  one  ?  "  he  answered  : 

"  Because  I  love  you,  and  I  am  always  glad  to 
see  the  people  I  love.  Are  you  going  to  shoot  a 
well  ?  Can't  I  go  with  you  ?  Aunt  Nancy  says  I 
am  to  stay  out  of  her  sight  until  sunset,  and  the 
boys  have  gone  fishing,  and  Cynthia  's  doing  her 
patchwork,  and  I  have  n't  a  single  thing  to  do. 
Please  let  me  go." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Brace  Barlow,  re 
flectively.  "I  don't  suppose  there  is  really  any 
danger;  still " 

"Danger!"  exclaimed  Prince  Dusty,  scornfully. 
"Do  you  suppose  I  am  any  more  afraid  of  dan 
ger  than  you  are,  even  if  you  are  a  great,  big 
man  and  I  am  only  a  little  boy  ?  Well,  I  'm  not. 
Your  old  glycerine  can't  be  any  worse  than  light 
ning,  and  I  'm  not  a  bit  afraid  of  that.  Besides,  if 


A   TORPEDO  MAN'S  PERIL.  2/ 

I  am  always  going  to  live  in  this  oil  region,  I  ought 
to  learn  all  about  its  dangers,  so  that  I  '11  know 
enough  to  keep  away  from  them.  Perhaps  when  I 
have  grown  to  be  a  giant,  like  you,  I  will  want  to 
be  a  well-shooter  too,  and  how  can  I  if  I  have  n't 
learned  how  ? " 

This  array  of  argument  was  too  much  for  Brace 
to  answer,  and  so,  saying,  "Well,  I  suppose  I  '11  have 
to  take  you  with  me  just  this  once,"  he  chirruped 
to  his  horses,  and,  driving  much  more  slowly  and 
carefully  than  usual,  turned  into  the  road  that  led 
to  the  well  he  was  engaged  to  shoot. 

They  reached  the  place  without  incident,  and 
Arthur  helped  carry  into  the  derrick  the  bundle  of 
bright  tin  tubes  that  had  been  lashed  to  a  couple  of 
curved  iron  supports  at  one  side  of  the  wagon.  He 
also  helped  place  in  position  the  reel  on  which  was 
wound  two  thousand  feet  of  stout  cord,  by  means  of 
which  the  torpedo  was  to  be  let  down  into  the  well. 
This  line  was  run  through  a  pulley  that  hung 
directly  above  the  well,  and  its  end  terminating  in 
an  iron  hook,  dangled  close  to  the  mouth  of  the 
deep,  dark  hole. 

When  these  preparations  were  made,  Brace  Bar- 


28  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

low  began  to  fit  and  fasten  together  several  lengths 
of  small  tin  pipe  until  they  formed  a  continuous 
tube  about  fifty  feet  long.  This  is  called  the 
"  anchor,"  and  was  to  be  attached  to  the  lower  end 
of  the  shell,  or  large  torpedo  tube,  so  that  when  the 
whole  was  lowered  into  the  well,  it  would  support 
the  torpedo  at  a  height  of  fifty  feet  above  the 
bottom. 

Arthur  was  allowed  to  assist  in  fitting  the  anchor 
tubes,  and  also  in  making  the  shell  ready  to  be  filled 
with  its  deadly  explosive.  When  the  cans  of  nitro 
glycerine  were  brought  into  the  derrick,  all  the  men 
employed  about  the  place  retired  to  a  respectful 
distance  from  it.  Then  Brace  insisted  that  Arthur 
should  also  go  away,  and  leave  him  alone  to  finish 
the  delicate  and  dangerous  job  of  loading  the 
shell,  lowering  it  into  position,  and  exploding  it. 

The  boy  begged  to  be  allowed  to  stay,  declaring 
that  he  was  not  in  the  least  afraid,  and  would  keep 
as  still  as  a  mouse.  But  Brace  would  not  listen  for 
a  moment  to  his  pleadings,  and  very  slowly  the  little 
fellow  walked  away  to  what  he  considered  a  safe 
distance,  though  it  was  not  nearly  so  far  as  the  men 
had  gone. 


A   TORPEDO  MAN'S  PERIL.  2g 

At  this  time  the  empty  shell,  which  was  a  large 
tin  tube  about  twenty  feet  long,  was,  with  its  anchor 
attached,  hanging  in  the  well  so  that  its  upper  end 
was  just  above  the  surface.  It  hung  from  a  very 
shallow  iron  hook,  at  the  end  of  the  stout  cord 
arranged  for  the  purpose ;  and  Brace  Barlow  now 
proceeded  slowly  and  cautiously  to  pour  the  nitro 
glycerine  into  it.  The  stuff  was  the  color  of  soft 
soap,  and  about  as  thick  as  syrup. 

He  had  been  thus  engaged  but  a  few  minutes, 
when  Arthur,  who  was  nearer  to  him  than  anybody 
else,  heard  him  call,  "  Come  here,  quick,  somebody, 
and  help  me  !  " 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  or  thought  of  fear, 
the  brave  little  fellow  ran  swiftly  to  the  derrick, 
exclaiming,  as  he  reached  it,  "  Here  I  am.  Brace ! 
What  do  yon  want  ? " 

"  You  here,  you  dear  little  chap  ! "  cried  the  tor 
pedo  man,  "  I  did  n't  mean  that  you  should  come ; 
but  perhaps  after  all  you  will  do  better  than 
another,  and  I  must  have  help  at  once.  You  see  the 
hook  has  slipped  off  the  shell,  and  I  only  caught 
the  torpedo  in  time  to  save  it  from  dropping  and 
exploding  before  I  was  ready.  Then  the  weight  of 


30  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

the  cord  pulled  the  hook  up  so  that  I  can't  reach  it. 
Now  if  you  can  climb  up  the  side  of  the  derrick, 
holding  the  drill  rope  in  close  to  you  till  you  reach 
the  proper  height,  then  swing  out,  catch  hold  of  that 
hook,  and  slide  down  the  drill  rope  with  it  in  your 
hand,  you  will  do  what  I  want  as  well  as  if  you 
were  the  biggest  man  in  the  world.  Do  you  think 
you  can  ? " 

"  I  can  try,"  replied  the  boy,  who  took  in  the 
whole  situation  at  a  glance,  and  he  at  once  began  to 
climb  the  ladder  that  led  to  the  top  of  the  tall 
derrick. 

It  seemed  that  while  Brace  was  filling  the  torpedo, 
and  had  nearly  completed  his  task,  he  found  it 
necessary  to  shift  the  position  of  the  shell  slightly. 
As  he  lifted  it,  the  shallow  hook  slipped  from  the 
bail,  or  handle  of  stout  copper  wire,  and  flew  up  just 
beyond  his  reach.  To  let  go  of  the  torpedo  was  out 
of  the  question,  for  it  would  have  fallen  down  the 
.  well  and  probably  exploded  from  concussion  with 
the  iron  tubing  lining  the  hole  before  it  had  gone 
many  feet.  This  explosion  would  have  fired  the 
quart  or  more  of  glycerine  still  remaining  in  one  of 
the  cans  on  the  derrick  floor,  and  Brace  Barlow 


A   TORPEDO  MAN'S  PERIL.  31 

would  instantly  have  disappeared  from  human  view. 
The  weight  of  the  torpedo  was  so  great  that  he 
could  not  support  it  very  long ;  and  so,  unless  assist 
ance  came  to  him  promptly  when  he  called,  he  must 
have  let  the  thing  drop,  and  suffered  the  con 
sequences. 

But  help  had  come  promptly;  and  a  twelve- 
year-old  boy,  forgetting  all  thoughts  of  danger,  and 
urged  on  by  the  love  he  bore  his  friend,  was  climb 
ing  the  derrick,  swinging  out  into  space  on  the  heavy 
drill  rope,  clutching  the  dangling  iron  hook,  and 
sliding  down  with  it  in  his  hand.  Then,  instead  of 
timidly  reaching  it  to  Brace,  he  stepped  boldly  up 
and  attached  it  to  the  copper  bail  of  the  torpedo  that 
was  cutting  deep  into  the  flesh  of  the  strong  hand 
that  held  it,  and  must  in  another  minute  have 
let  it  go. 

As  the  well-shooter,  with  a  pale  face,  rose  from 
his  strained  position,  he  clasped  the  boy  in  his 
arms,  exclaiming :  "  Little  one,  you  have  done  for 
me  this  day  what  any  man  might  be  proud  of 
doing  for  a  friend  ;  and,  so  long  as  I  live,  I  will 
never  forget  the  service  nor  cease  to  be  indebted  to 
you." 


32  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

When  the  filling  of  the  torpedo  was  completed,  it 
was  cautiously  lowered  a  thousand  feet  to  the  bottom 
of  the  well,  the  "  Go  Devil,"  a  heavy,  pointed  bit  of 
iron  that  was  to  explode  it,  was  dropped,  and,  seiz 
ing  Arthur  in  his  arms,  Brace  Barlow  ran  swiftly 
from  the  spot. 

A  few  seconds  later  the  solid  earth  was  shaken 
and  there  was  a  heavy  but  muffled  roar.  Directly 
afterwards  a  vast  column  of  oil  shot  up  through  the 
derrick  sixty  feet  into  the  air,  and  fell  back  to  earth 
in  a  glistening  cloud  of  amber-colored  spray.  The 
shot  was  a  perfect  success ;  and  for  months  after 
wards  the  old  well  again  flowed  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
barrels  a  day. 

As  Brace  and  his  little  friend  rode  homewards 
they  stopped  in  the  first  lonely  bit  of  forest  to 
explode  the  still  dangerous  but  empty  nitro-glycerine 
cans.  This  was  done  by  placing  them  on  the 
ground,  lighting  the  end  of  a  short  fuse  attached  to 
a  cap  thrust  into  one  of  them,  and  driving  rapidly 
away.  The  explosion  was  terrific,  and  its  roar  was 
like  that  of  a  hundred-pounder  gun.  Arthur  said  it 
was  better  than  any  Fourth  of  July  he  had  ever 
known. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ARTHUR    AND    HIS    COUSINS. 

AS  Arthur  and  Brace  Barlow  returned  from  the 
well-shooting  described  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  the  latter  set  the  boy  down  at  a  cross- road 
but  a  short  distance  from  the  Dustin  house.  Here 
the  little  fellow  bade  his  "  dear  giant "  good-night, 
and  ran  homeward,  feeling  happier  than  he  had  for 
a  long  time.  Though  he  hardly  realized  the  full 
value  of  the  service  he  had  just  rendered  to 
his  friend,  he  was  sure  that  he  had  been  useful  at  a 
critical  moment ;  he  knew  that  he  had  been  praised 
for  what  he  had  done,  and  he  felt  more  manly  than 
ever  before. 

It  was  quite  late  when  he  reached  the  front  gate, 
where  faithful  little  Cynthia  was  anxiously  watching 
for  him  and  wondering  where  he  could  be. 

"  Oh,  Cynthia ! "  he  cried,  as  he  drew  near  and 
saw  her,  "  I  Ve  had  such  a  lovely  time !  I  have 

3  33 


34  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

been  shooting  a  well  with  Brace  Barlow,  and  I 
climbed  up  the  derrick  and  got  a  hook  that  had 
slipped  away  from  him,  and  brought  it  down ;  and 
he  said  I  was  a  brave  boy,  and  had  saved  his  life, 
though  I  don't  see  exactly  how ;  and  then  we  had  a 
splendid  Fourth  of  July  time,  blowing  up  the  cans ; 
and  it  sounded  like  a  real  truly  cannon ;  and  the 
very  minute  I  get  grown  up  I  'm  going  to  be  a  well- 
shooter." 

It  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  enthusiastic 
little  fellow  to  pour  into  sympathetic  ear  the  tale  of 
what  he  had  done.  He  had  performed  a  brave 
act,  and  in  the  first  flush  of  his  excitement  he  longed 
to  be  praised  for  it,  as  we  all  do  whenever  we  have 
done  anything  that  we  consider  especially  good, 
or  worthy  of  commendation.  It  is  a  reward  of 
merit  to  which  all  who  have  earned  it  are  entitled ; 
and  to  withhold  just  praise  is  as  cruel  as  to  extend 
unjust  censure. 

Cynthia  would  not  have  been  guilty  of  any  such 
unkindness.  Her  eyes  opened  wide  as  she  listened 
to  the  tale  her  Prince  told  of  his  own  deeds,  and 
she  was  just  catching  her  breath  to  tell  him  how 
splendid  she  thought  them,  when  they  were  startled 


ARTHUR  AND  HIS  COUSINS.  35 

by  the  sound  of  a  harsh  voice,  calling,  "  Arthur ! 
Cynthia !  come  into  the  house  this  minute,  you 
naughty  children.  Don't  you  know  better  than  to 
be  staying  out  there  breathing  the  night  air  ? "  . 

"  A  boy  must  breathe  some  kind  of  air,  Aunt 
Nancy,  and  when  it  is  night  time  I  don't  see  how 
he  can  help  breathing  night  air,"  laughed  Arthur,  as 
he  reached  the  house  ;  for  not  even  his  aunt's  harsh 
tones  could  at  once  dispel  his  good  spirits.  , 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  talking  back  to  me  ? " 
asked  Mrs.  Dustin.  "  I  say  that  night  air  is  poison, 
and  no  member  of  my  family,  even  if  he  is  a  young 
interloper,  shall  breathe  a  drop  of  it,  not  so  long 
as  I  can  help  it.  Now,  not  another  word.  I 
know  where  you  Ve  been  this  whole  blessed 
afternoon.  You  Ve  been  off  with  Brace  Barlow, 
who  ought  to  have  more  sense  than  to  encourage 
your  badness,  shooting  wells,  and  trying  to  get  your 
self  blown  into  mince-meat,  just  to  make  more 
trouble  for  me.  Yes,  I  know  all  about  it,  in  spite 
of  your  sly  ways.  Now,  you  may  go  right  to  bed, 
and  not  a  morsel  of  supper  shall  you  have  this  night, 
which  may  be  it  '11  be  a  lesson  that  you  will  remem 
ber  for  one  while,  anyway." 


36  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Mr.  John  Dustin,  who  sat  smoking  his  evening 
pipe  by  an  open  window,  rarely  interfered  with  his 
wife's  management  of  the  children ;  but  now  he 
spoke  up  saying : 

"  That  won't  do,  wife ;  you  only  gave  the  boy 
bread  and  water  for  his  dinner,  and  it  won't  do  to 
send  him  to  bed  without  any  supper.  I  believe  in 
proper  punishment,  where  it  is  deserved,  as  much  as 
anybody;  but  when  it  comes  to  starving,  that 's 
quite  another  thing.  It  shall  never  be  said  that  my 
brother  Richard's  only  son  was  starved  in  his  uncle's 
house.  So  give  the  boy  his  supper,  and  plenty  of 
it.  Then  you  can  send  him  to  bed  if  you  see  fit." 

Mrs.  Dustin  knew  that  when  her  husband  spoke 
in  this  tone  he  meant  to  be  obeyed ;  so,  without  a 
word,  she  set  a  plain  but  bountiful  meal  before 
Arthur.  From  a  long  experience  of  bread-and-water 
punishments  and  supperless  nights  the  boy  was  wise 
enough  to  eat  heartily  all  that  he  possibly  could,  in 
spite  of  his  heavy  heart.  He  ate  in  silence,  and  for 
some  time  nobody  else  spoke ;  only  Dick,  who  sat  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  room  with  the  other  children, 
chuckled  and  made  faces  behind  Arthur's  back,  for 
the'  benefit,  and  to  the  huge  delight,  of  his  com- 


ARTHUR  AND  HIS  COUSINS.  37 

panions.  He  was  greatly  pleased  at  the  result  of 
his  tale-bearing ;  for  it  was  he  who,  overhearing 
Arthur  tell  Cynthia  that  he  had  been  well-shooting 
with  Brace  Barlow,  had  hurried  to  the  house,  and 
repeated  the  information,  with  some  picturesque 
additions  of  his  own  devising,  to  his  mother. 

Once,  during  the  silent  meal,  little  Cynthia  tried 
to  create  a  diversion  in  her  cousin's  favor  by  remark 
ing  timidly  to  nobody  in  particular,  but  to  the  com 
pany  in  general,  "  Arthur  says  Brace  Barlow  says  he 
saved  his  life." 

"  Who  says  what  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Dustin,  turning 
quickly  and  fixing  her  sharp  eyes  on  the  little  girl's 
face. 

"  Brace  Barlow  says — I  mean  Arthur  says  Brace 

tf  »/ 

Barlow  says — he  saved  his— 

"  Oh,  fiddlesticks  !  "  interrupted  her  mother  ; 
"  you  don't  know  what  you  're  talking  about.  It 
is  n't  at  all  likely  that  either  of  them  did  anything 
of  the  kind.  The  sort  of  danger  Brace  Barlow  goes 

o  o 

into  is  quick  and  sure.  When  it  once  gets  started 
there  is  n't  any  chance  for  life-saving,  or  for  telling 
of  it  afterwards.  Arthur  ought  to  know  better  than 
to  go  round  boasting  in  that  way  to  a  little  girl  like 


38  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

you,  and  I  should  think  he  'd  be  ashamed  of  himself 
for  doing  it." 

Arthur  listened  to  this  unjust  speech  with  a 
flushed  face  and  a  feeling  of  choking  indignation; 
but  he  did  not  say  a  word.  Young  as  he  was,  he 
had  already  learned  that  in  a  contest  with  an  un 
reasonable  person  silence  is  the  weapon  of  wisdom. 

After  finishing  his  supper  the  forlorn  little  fellow, 
accepting  his  punishment  without  a  murmur,  though 
he  could  not  imagine  what  wrong  he  had  done,  retired 
to  his  cot  in  the  wood-shed,  where  he  was  quickly 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  sleep  the  comforter. 

The  next  day  was  the  bright  one  in  September 
with  which  this  story  opens,  and  Arthur  is  intro 
duced  as  he  sits  on  the  top  rail  of  a  zig-zag  fence 
watching  the  other  children  at  play. 

Fired  by  the  accounts  of  his  adventure  of  the 
day  before  as  narrated  to  them,  at  second-hand  by 
Cynthia,  for  Arthur  could  not  be  induced  to  say 
another  word  concerning  it,  his  cousins  had  deter 
mined  to  have  a  miniature  well-shooting  of  their 
own.  They  spent  the  entire  morning  in  the  con 
struction  of  a  very  shaky  little  derrick,  about  six 
feet  high,  and  now  they  were  busy  drilling  a  well, 


ARTHUR  AND  HIS  COUSINS.  39 

which  they  hoped  to  put  down  to  a  depth  of  at  least 
two  feet.  When  it  was  finished  they  proposed  to 
shoot  it  by  means  of  a  cannon  cracker,  that  they  had 
saved  over  from  the  Fourth  of  July  for  use  on  some 
such  special  occasion. 

The  scheme  was  well  planned,  and  seemed  likely 
to  be  carried  out ;  for  the  children  were  enthusiastic 
over  it,  and,  under  Dick's  direction,  worked  most 
diligently.  Arthur  would  gladly  have  joined  in 
this  fascinating  occupation  ;  but  the  others  would 
not  have  him.  As  Dick  scornfully  remarked : 
"What  can  a  city  chap  like  you  know  about  build 
ing  derricks  and  drilling  wells  ?  You  was  n't  raised 
in  the  oil  region." 

So  Arthur  was  forced  to  content  himself  with  sit 
ting  on  the  fence  and  watching  them.  Occasionally 
he  turned  for  a  chat  with  Uncle  Phin,  who  was  cut 
ting  brush  in  the  field  behind  him,  and  who  took  a 
long  rest  whenever  he  reached  the  end  of  a  row  that 
brought  him  anywhere  near  his  "  lil  inarse."  Finally, 
after  one  of  these  rests,  during  which  Arthur  had 
paid  no  attention  to  the  operations  at  the  miniature 
derrick,  he  left  his  perch  and  followed  Uncle  Phin 
for  a  short  distance  into  the  thick  brush. 


CHAPTER  VI: 

A    GALLANT    RESCUE    AND    ITS    REWARD. 

A  RTHUR  had  hardly  left  his  perch  before  he 
/~~V  was  startled  by  a  perfect  babel  of  sounds 
coming  from  where  the  children  were  at  play.  There 
were  yells  and  shouts  of  laughter,  mingled  with 
cries  of  pain  and  an  angry  screaming,  together  with 
piteous  calls  of  "  Arthur  !  oh,  Arthur  !  Come  and 
make  'em  stop  !  " 

Like  a  young  deer  the  boy  bounded  out  of  the 
brush  and  over  the  fence,  followed,  much  more  slowly 
by  Uncle  Phin.  Arrived  upon  the  scene,  he  quickly 
comprehended  the  situation.  In  an  unfortunate 
moment,  just  as  the  well  was  completed  and  ready 
to  be  shot,  Cynthia's  dearly  loved  little  white  kitty 
came  demurely  walking  in  that  direction  looking  for 
her  mistress.  At  sight  of  the  little  animal  a  brilliant 
idea  flashed  through  Dick's  mind,  and  he  at  once 
proceeded  to  carry  it  out.  He  said  : 

40 


A    GALLANT  RESCUE  AND  ITS  REWARD.  41 

"  We  can't  have  much  fun  shooting  a  dry  well 
anyhow,  'cause  there  won't  be  any  oil  to  fly  up  in 
the  air ;  but  I  '11  tell  you  what.  Let  's  have  an 
execution  by  'lectricity.  It  '11  be  immense,  and  here  's 
the  prisoner  already  waiting  to  be  executed." 

Thus  saying,  the  cruel  boy  snatched  up  the  little 
white  kitty,  and,  bidding  the  others  hold  Cynthia, 
who  was  ready  to  make  a  furious  struggle  in  defence 
of  her  pet,  he  ran  with  it  to  the  derrick.  Here,  with 
the  make-believe  drill  rope,  he  hung  it  by  the  tail, 
so  that  the  little  pink  nose  was  but  a  few  inches 
from  the  ground.  Then,  lighting  the  fuse  of  the 
great  cannon-cracker,  he  placed  it  directly  beneath 
the  victim,  who  was  now  uttering  piteous  cries  of 
pain  and  terror,  and  ran  to  where  the  others  were 
shouting  with  delight  over  the  new  and  thrilling 
diversion  so  unexpectedly  prepared  for  them. 

Poor,  desperate  little  Cynthia,  kicking,  biting, 
scratching,  but  struggling  in  vain  with  the  young 
rascals  who  held  her  fast,  began,  as  a  last  resort,  to 
call  upon  Arthur,  the  brave  Prince  who  had  defended 
her  against  the  big  dog,  and  she  did  not  call  in  vain. 

Hatless  and  breathless,  with  the  fire  of  righteous 
wrath  blazing  in  his  blue  eyes,  the  plucky  boy  came 


42  BORING  FOR  OIL. 

flying  to  the  rescue.  He  had  no  thought  of  the  over 
whelming  odds  against  him.  The  princes  of  his  fairy 
tales  fought  whole  armies  single-handed,  and  why 
should  not  he  ?  His  impetuous  speed  carried  him 
right  through  the  shouting  group  assembled  to  witness 
the  execution  of  the  hapless  kitty,  and  two  of  them 
were  flung  to  the  ground  before  they  knew  of  his 
presence.  An  instant  later  he  reached  the  little 
derrick.  The  fuse  had  burned  down  into  the  body 
of  the  big  cracker,  and  in  another  second  it  would 
explode.  Without  the  faintest  trace  of  hesitation, 
the  little  fellow  seized  it  and  flung  it  behind  him. 

An  explosion  followed  almost  instantly,  and  was 
accompanied  by  a  yell  of  pain.  The  moment  Dick 
recognized  Arthur,  and  perceived  his  intention,  he 
sprang  after  his  cousin,  and  was  directly  in  line  when 
the  cannon-cracker  came  flying  toward  him.  It 
struck  him  and  fell  to  the  ground,  exploding  as  it 
did  so,  and  burning  his  bare  feet  painfully. 

Furious  with  rage  the  cowardly  young  bully 
rushed  at  Arthur,  who  was  releasing  the  white  kitty 
from  her  unhappy  position,  and  with  a  savage  blow 
knocked  the  little  fellow  down.  Then  he  jumped 
on  him  and  began  to  pummel  him,  screaming  "  Take 


A    GALLANT  RESCUE  AND  ITS  REWARD.  43 

that,  will  you  !  And  that !  I  '11  teach  you. !  I  '11 
show  you  who  's  boss  round  here  !  " 

All  at  once  these  cruel  cries  were  changed  to  yells 
of  dismay,  as,  whack  !  wrhack  !  whack  !  a  shower  of 
stinging  blows  fell  upon  Dick's  shoulders.  Uncle 
Phin,  who  had  followed  Arthur  as  fast  as  he  was 
able,  had  arrived  just  in  time  to  save  his  "  lil  Marse  " 
from  any  severe  injury  at  the  hands  of  his  enraged 
cousin,  and  to  administer,  with  a  stout  stick,  the 
thrashing  that  the  young  rascal  so  well  deserved. 

In  less  than  a  minute  cowardly  Cousin  Dick  and 
his  frightened  followers  were  scampering  away 
towards  the  house,  where  they  proposed  to  lay  their 
side  of  the  case  promptly  before  their  mother. 
Cynthia  had  gone  after  her  beloved  kitty,  and  brave 
little  "Prince  Dusty,"  who  had  flung  himself  into 
Uncle  Phin's  arms,  was  sobbing  as  though  his  heart 
would  break. 

"  Soh,  Honey,  soh,  don't  you  cry  now,"  murmured 
the  old  man,  in  soothing  tones.  "  'Member  dat  while 
you  is  a  Dustin  by  name,  you  's  a  Dale  by  breedin, 
an  comes  of  Dale  stock.  You  's  mos  a  man  now,  a 
young  gen'lm'n,  an  it  won't  nebber  do  fer  sich  as 
you  is  to  cry  like  a  lilly  gal.  Soh,  now,  Honey,  soh." 


44  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Neither  of  them  heard  the  quick,  determined  step 
that  approached  them  from  behind,  and  so  occupied 
was  poor,  troubled  Uncle  Phin  in  soothing  and  com 
forting  his  charge,  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  for 
Mrs.  Dustin  to  snatch  the  trembling  boy  from  his 
arms.  Then  she  marched  rapidly  away,  without  a 
word ;  but  dragging  her  victim  relentlessly  after  her. 

Uncle  Phin  half  started  to  his  feet  when  he  first 
realized  what  was  happening ;  but  sank  back  again 
with  a  groan,  and  a  murmured  "  De  good  Lawd  hab 
mussy  on  His  Lamb." 

Then  he  bowed  his  frosted  head  on  his  knees  and 
the  hot  tears  trickled  slowly  between  his  black 
fingers. 

While  he  thus  sat  helpless  and  despairing,  poor 
Arthur  was  taken  to  the  house  and  there  whipped, 
until  the  apple-tree  switch  broke,  and  his  Aunt 
Nancy's  strength  was  exhausted.  Then,  telling 
the  boy  that  this  was  a  lesson  for  him  to  remember 
as  long  as  he  lived,  she  bade  him  go  to  the  woodshed, 
which  was  his  sleeping-room,  and  stay  there  until  she 
should  release  him. 

During  this  undeserved  punishment  not  a  ciy  had 
escaped  from  the  boy,  nor  had  a  tear  found  its  way 


A    GALLANT  RESCUE  AND   ITS  REWARD.  45 

to  his  eyes.  He  bit  his  under-lip  and  clenched  his 
hands,, but  not  a  sound  did  he  utter.  He  remem 
bered  what  Uncle  Phin  had  just  told  him.  He  was 
almost  a  man  now,  and  no  man,  especially  a  Dale, 
would  cry  for  a  whipping.  So,  though  the  little 
face  was  drawn  and  white,  and  the  boy  trembled 
until  he  could  hardly  stand,  he  held  out  to  the  end 
as  bravely  as  ever  a  martyr  under  torture,  and  when 
he  was  thrust  into  his  cheerless  shed,  he  sat  on  the 
edge  of  his  rude  bed  rigid  and  tearless.  His  mind 
was  in  a  furious  whirl,  but  above  all  was  the  over 
whelming  sense  of  injustice  and  outrage. 

Finally  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  crying, "  I  hate  you  ! 
I  hate  you  !  I  hate  you  ! "  and  then,  flinging  him 
self  on  his  bed,  he  gave  way  to  a  burst  of  passionate 
weeping. 

"  Oh,  mamma  ! "  he  cried,  "  my  own  mamma  ! 
why  don't  you  come  for  me  and  take  me  away  from 
this  dreadful  place  ?  I  can't  stay  here  any  longer ! 
Indeed  I  can't,  mamma  !  oh,  come  for  me ;  do  come  ! 
Please,  mamma,  come  for  me,  and  take  me  to  where 
you  are ! " 

For  nearly  an  hour  the  forlorn  child  cried  for  the 
dear  ones  who  had  left  him ;  then  his  sobs  gradually 


46  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

died  away,  and,  utterly  exhausted,  lie  fell  into  a 
troubled  sleep. 

In  the  meantime  little  Cynthia,  who  only  found 
her  dear  kitty  after  a  long  search,  met  her  father 
coming  home  from  his  work,  and  when  he  inquired 
what  was  the  matter  with  his  daughter,  and  who 
had  made  her  ciy,  she  told  him  the  truth  of  all  that 
had  happened,  so  far  as  she  knew  it.  Mr.  Dustin 
had  begun  to  suspect  that  Arthur  was  ill-treated 
by  his  cousins,  and  as  he  listened  to  Cynthia's  story, 
his  face  grew  very  stern,  and  he  said :  "  This  matter 
must  be  looked  into." 

When  they  reached  the  house,  and  he  was  told 
that  Arthur  had  been  severely  punished  for  trying 
to  kill  Cynthia's  kitten,  and  for  fighting  with  Dick 
who  had  rescued  it,  and  that  Uncle  Phin  had  beaten 
Dick,  Mr.  Dustin's  anger  could  not  be  restrained. 
He  said : 

"Wife,  I  am  afraid  you  have  made  a  terrible  mis 
take,  and  punished  an  innocent  child  for  performing 
a  noble  act.  If  what  Cynthia  tells  me  is  true,  and  I 
believe  it  is,  Master  Dick  is  the  boy  who  tormented 
his  little  sister,  and  would  have  killed  her  pet. 
Master  Dick  is  the  coward  who  thrashed  a  little 


A    GALLANT  RESCUE  AND  ITS  REWARD.  47 

fellow  two  years  younger  than  himself,  for  bravely 
rescuing  the  victim  of  his  cruelty.  Master  Dick 
is  the  one  who  told  a  lie  to  hide  his  own  wicked 
ness  and  cause  his  cousin  to  receive  the  punishment 
he  himself  deserved.  And  Master  Dick  is  the  boy 
who  is  aching  for  the  whipping  that  I  shall  give 
him  before  he  is  many  minutes  older. 

"  In  regard  to  my  dead  brother's  child,  I  want  it 
understood  that  so  long  as  he  remains  under  my 
roof  he  is  never  again  to  be  punished  for  any  fault, 
real  or  fancied ;  and  if  anybody  has  any  complaints 
to  make  against  him,  they  must  make  them  to  me. 
As  for  Uncle  Phin,  if  it  is  true  that  he  beat  one  of 
my  children,  he  must  leave  this  place,  and  look  for 
a  home  elsewhere,  which  I  shall  tell  him  to-morrow." 

Eveiy  word  of  this  was  heard  by  the  old  negro, 
who  was  sitting  on  a  bench  in  the  little  vine-colored 
porch,  close  under  an  open  window,  of  the  room  in 
which  Mr.  Dustin  stood.  The  old  man,  who  had  not 
known  of  the  cruel  punishment  inflicted  upon  his 
"lil  Marse,"  was  waiting  patiently  for  Arthur  to 
come  out  and  bring  him  his  supper,  as  the  boy  had 
done  eveiy  evening  since  they  came  there  to  live. 

Now  he  said  to  himself  :  "  Dat  's  all  right,  Marse 


48  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Dustin.  I  did  beat  yo  boy,  an  I  do  it  agin  if  heem 
tetch  my  honey  lamb ;  but  yo  sha'n't  nebber  hab  de 
chance  to  tun  ole  Phin  Dale  from  yo  house.  No, 
sah ;  he  done  go  of  his  own  sef ,  bef o  ebber  he  'lowin 
you  to  do  sich  a  ting.  An  when  he  go  he  is  n't 
gwine  erlone.  No,  sah." 

Just  then  little  Cynthia  came  out  with  his  supper, 
and  said  that  Arthur  was  asleep.  The  old  man  ate 
his  frugal  meal  in  silence ;  but  a  train  of  thoughts 
was  passing  through  his  head  much  more  rapidly 
than  usual.  They  were  all  travelling  in  the  same 
direction,  and  it  was  back  toward  his  old  Virginia 
home. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

UNCLE  PHIN'S  PLAN. 

AFTER  finishing  his  supper  on  the  memorable 
evening  of  Arthur's  unjust  punishment,  Mr. 
John  Dustin  stepped  softly  into  the  woodshed,  which, 
in  that  overcrowded  household,  had  seemed  to  be 
the  only  place  that  could  be  given  up  for  an  extra 
sleeping-room.  He  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and, 
by  the  light  of  a  candle  that  he  carried,  gazed  long 
and  earnestly  at  the  tear-stained  face  of  the  child 
who  lay  on  a  rude  cot.  It  was  hot  and  flushed,  and 
the  sleeping  boy  tossed  and  moaned  as  though  visited 
by  unhappy  dreamsv  Once  he  called  out :  "  Don't 
let  them  whip  me,  mamma  !  I  have  n't  been  naughty. 
Indeed  I  have  not !  " 

At  this  the  man,  as  though  fearful  of  awakening 
the  sleeper,  hastily  retired  from  the  place,  and  there 
was  a  suspicious  moisture  in  his  eyes  as  he  re-entered 
the  other  room. 

4  49 


50  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Here  he  said :  "  Wife,  I  believe  we  have  treated 
that  little  chap  very  unjustly.  My  brother  Richard 
was  the  most  truthful  and  honorable  boy  and  man  I 
ever  knew,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  son  takes 
after  his  father.  Hereafter  I  shall  try  to  make  his 
life  pleasanter  and  happier,  and  in  this  I  want  you 
to  help  me." 

Mrs.  Dustin  made  no  answer  to  this,  for  her  heart 
was  hardened  against  the  orphan  lad,  and  she  really 
believed  him  to  be  the  sly  bad  boy  that  Dick  strove 
to  make  him  appear.  "  I  will  watch  him  more  closely 
than  ever,  and  show  him  up  in  his  true  light  yet," 
she  thought,  as  she  bent  her  head  over  her  sewing 
so  that  her  husband  could  not  see  her  face.  "He 
sha'n't  stand  in  the  way  of  my  children,  and  I  '11 
believe  my  own  Dick's  word  before  his  every  time," 
was  her  mental  resolve. 

Knowing  nothing  of  his  wife's  thoughts,  Mr. 
Dustin  was  already  taking  steps  to  insure  Arthur's 
greater  comfort.  He  went  to  the  pantry  and  brought 
from  it  a  bowl  of  milk,  a  loaf  of  new  bread,  and  a 
plate  of  ginger  cookies  made  that  day.  With  these 
he  again  entered  Arthur's  sleeping-room,  and  softly 
placed  them  on  a  chair  where,  by  the  light  of  the 


UNCLE  PHIN'S  PLAN.  51 

moon  that  was  just  rising,  the  boy  would  see  them 
whenever  he  should  awake.  Once,  while  he  was 
thus  engaged,  Mrs.  Dustin  opened  her  mouth  to 
remonstrate  against  such  a  lavish  provision  of  food 
for  a  mere  child;  but  a  glance  at  her  husband's 
determined  face  caused  her  to  change  her  mind,  and 
she  wisely  remained  silent. 

There  had  been  another  and  more  appreciative 
witness  of  Mr.  Dustin's  thoughtful  act.  It  was 
Uncle  Phin,  who,  kneeling  outside  the  shed  and 
gazing  through  an  open  chink  in  its  rough  wall,  was 
waiting  patiently  for  the  family  to  retire  that  he 
might  have  a  private  and  undetected  conversation 
with  his  "lil  Marse." 

As  Mr.  Dustin  again  left  the  shed,  the  old  man 
said  softly  to  himself : 

"  De  good  Lawd  bress  you  fer  what  you  is  jes 
done,  Marse  Dustin.  You  is  got  some  ob  pore 
Marse  Richard's  goodness  into  you  after  all.  If  it 
warn't  fer  de  ole  Miss  an  dem  wicked  chillun,  me 
an  lil  Marse  would  try  an  stick  it  out  awhile  longer. 
But  it  can't  be  did.  No,  sah,  it  can't  be  did."  Here 
the  old  man  shook  his  white  head  sorrowfully. 
"  Dem  young  limbs  is  too  powerful  wicked,  an  ole 


52  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Miss,  she  back  'em  up.  Fer  a  fac,  ole  Phin  got  ter 
tote  his  lamb  away  funi  heah,  an  maybe  de  good 
Lawd  lead  us  to  de  green  fiels  ob  de  still  watere, 
where  we  kin  lie  down  in  peacefulness." 

An  hour  later,  when  the  lights  of  the  house  were 
extinguished  and  all  was  still  with  the  silence  of 
sleep,  Uncle  Phin  cautiously  opened  the  shed 
door,  and  tip-toeing  heavily  to  where  Arthur  lay, 
rested  his  horny  hand  gently  on  the  boy's  white 
forehead. 

The  child  opened  his  eyes  and  smiled,  as,  by  the 
moonlight,  now  flooding  the  place,  he  saw  who  was 
bending  over  him. 

"  Sh-h-h,  Honey,"  whispered  Uncle  Phin,  with 
warning  finger  uplifted  ;  "  git  up  quiet  like  a  fiel 
mouse  an  come  erlong  wif  me.  Sh-h-h  !  " 

Then  the  old  man  and  the  child  stole  softly  away, 
the  former  not  forgetting  to  cany  with  him  the  sup 
ply  of  food  provided  by  Mr.  Dustin.  As  quietly  as 
two  shadows  they  moved  across  the  open  space 
between  the  house  and  the  barn. 

Not  until  they  were  safe  in  his  particular  corner  of 
the  hay-mow  did  Uncle  Phin  venture  to  speak  aloud. 
Here  he  drew  a  long  breath  of  satisfaction,  for  in 


UNCLE   PHIN'S  PLAN.  53 

this  place  they  could  talk  freely  and  without  danger 
of  being  overheard. 

First  he  made  Arthur  drink  all  that  he  could  from 
the  bowl  of  milk  and  eat  heartily  of  the  bread  and 
cakes  that  Mr.  Dustin  had  left  for  him.  After  eat 
ing  the  food,  of  which  he  stood  so  greatly  in  need, 
and  which  the  old  man  assured  him  had  been  left  by 
one  "  ob  de  good  Lawd's  own  rabens,"  Arthur  said  : 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Phin,  I  Ve  tried  as  hard  as  I  can  to  be 
good,  and  make  them  all  love  me  here,  but  they 
won't  do  it.  No  matter  what  I  do,  it  seems  to  be  the 
wrong  thing,  and  I  only  get  punished  for  it.  I  am 
getting  almost  afraid  to  try  and  do  right  any  more, 
and  if  we  stay  here  much  longer  I  'm  pretty  sure  I 
shall  grow  to  be  a  bad  boy,  such  as  my  own  dear 
mamma  and  papa  would  n't  love.  Now  don't  you 
think  we  might  run  away  and  live  somewhere  else, 
where  it  would  be  more  easy  to  be  good  than  it  is 
here  ?  Do  you  think  it  would  be  very  wrong  if  we 
did  ?  I  'm  sure  Aunt  Nancy  would  be  glad  to  have 
us  go,  and  perhaps  Uncle  John  would  too." 

"  Why,  Houeybug !  "  cried  the  old  man  delight 
edly,  "  dat  ar  is  prezactly  what  yo  ole  Unc  Phin's 
been  projeckin  to  hissef — only  you  mus'n't  call  it 


54  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

ruimiii  away,  like  you  was  a  pore  niggah.  A  Dale 
don't  nebber  run  away.  He  only  change  de  spere 
ob  his  libbin,  when  he  gits  tired  ob  one  place,  an' 
takes  up  wif  auudder,  same  like  we  's  a  gwine  ter. 
I  's  been  considerin  fer  a  long  Avhile  back  dat  dese 
yere  Dustins,  who  is  n't  much  better  'n  pore  white 
trash  no  how,  was  n't  de  bestest  company  fer  a 
thorobred  Dale  like  you  is.'1 

"  Hush,  Uncle  Phin  !  You  must  not  speak  so  of 
my  uncle's  family.  He  was  my  dear  papa's  own 
brother,  and  they  are  the  only  relatives  I  have  in  the 
world,"  said  Arthur. 

"  No,  dey  is  n't,  Honey.  Dey  is  n't  de  onliest  ones 
what  you  got  in  de  worl.  You  is  got  a  granpaw 
libin  yet.  A  monsrus  fine  gen'lm'n  he  is,  and  he's 
place  one  ob  de  fines'  in  all  Ferginny,  if  I  does  say  it. 
He  's  quality,  he  is,  an  Dalecourt  is  yo  own  proper- 
est  home." 

"But  I  have  never  seen  my  Grandpapa  Dale,  and 
he  does  n't  know  me,  and  I  don't  believe  he  wants 
to,"  replied  Arthur ;  adding  sadly  :  "  There  does  n't 
seein  to  be  anybody  in  the  whole  world  that  wants 
to  know  me,  except  you,  and  Brace  Barlow,  and 
Cynthia.  Besides  Dalecourt  is  a  long  way  off,  and 


UNCLE  PHIN'S  PLAN.  55 

it  would  take  a  great  deal  of  money  to  get  there,  and 
we  have  n't  any  at  all,  and  I  don't  believe  even 
you  could  find  the  way  to  it  if  we  should  try  and  go 
there." 

"Dint  I  uster  lib  dere,  Honey,  and  dint  I  come 
frum  dere  ?  What  fo  you  spec  I  can't  go  whar  I 
come  frum?" 

"  But  coming  from  a  place  and  going  back  to  it  are 
very  different  things,"  replied  Arthur,  wisely. 

"So  dey  is,  Honey,  ob  cose  dey  is,"  agreed  Uncle 
Phin,  who  was  not  yet  ready  to  disclose  his  plans. 

"But  we  will  go  away  somewhere  and  live  to 
gether,  won't  we  ? "  pleaded  Arthur.  "  I  don't  sup 
pose  we  could  take  my  l  dear  Giant '  and  Cynthia 
with  us ;  but  if  we  only  could,  would  n't  we  be 
happy  ? " 

"  Ob  cose  we'se  a  gwine  leab  dish  yere  place,"  re 
plied  the  old  man.  "  You  jes  trus  yo  Unc  Phin, 
an  he  fin  a  way  to  trabble,  an  a  place  fer  to  go." 

Then  he  told  the  boy  that  he  should  go  away 
before  daylight,  and  might  remain  several  days 
making  preparations  for  their  journey.  He  would 
not  say  where  he  was  going,  because  he  wanted 
Arthur  to  be  able  to  say  honestly  he  did  not  know, 


56  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

if  he  were  asked.  He  instructed  the  boy  to  collect 
all  his  little  belongings,  including  his  scanty  ward 
robe,  and  have  them  ready  for  a  start  at  a  moment's 
notice.  "  It  '11  be  in  de  night  time,  Honey,  in  de 
middle  ob  de  night,  an  ole  Phin  '11  creep  in  an  wake 
you,  same  like  he  did  erwhile  ago.  So  don't  you  be 
afeared  when  you  wakes  up  sudden  an  fin's  him 
stan'in  alongside  ob  you." 

"  No,  I  won't  be  afraid,  and  I  '11  be  ready  when 
ever  you  come  for  me,"  replied  the  little  fellow ; 
"but  don't  stay  long  away,  because  I  shall  be  so 
lonely  without  you." 

Uncle  Phin  promised  that  he  woiild  not  be  a 
single  minute  longer  than  was  necessary  to  make 
preparations,  and  Arthur  was  about  to  go  back  to 
the  house,  when  a  sudden  thought  flashed  into  his 
mind,  and  he  exclaimed  :  "  Oh,  my  book,  my  precious 
book  that  the  beautiful  lady  gave  me  !  I  can't  leave 
it  behind,  and  I  'm  afraid  Aunt  Nancy  won't  let  me 
have  it." 

Then,  in  answer  to  Uncle  Phin's  inquiries,  he  had 
to  tell  him  the  whole  story  of  his  adventures  as  a 
Prince,  which  he  had  not  heretofore  found  an  oppor 
tunity  of  relating,  and  in  which  the  old  man  was 


UNCLE  PH/N'S  PLAN.  57 

greatly  interested.  He  was  particularly  pleased  with 
the  title  bestowed  upon  his  "lil  Marse"  by  the 
beautiful  lady,  and  said :  "  You  is  a  shuah  'nough 
Prince,  Honey,  if  dere  ebber  was  one  in  dis  worl, 
only  you  won't  always  be  Prince  Dusty.  Some  day 
you  '11  be  a  Prince  somefin  else.  But  you  mus  hab 
yo  book,  in  cose  you  mus,  an  we  '11  make  out  to  git 
hoi  ob  it  somehow  or  nudder." 

Comforted  by  this  assurance,  and  filled  with  the 
new  hopes  raised  by  their  prolonged  conversation, 
Arthur  flung  his  arms  about  the  old  man's  neck  and 
kissed  him  good-night  and  good-bye.  Then  slipping 
from,  the  hay-mow  he  sped  back  to  the  house,  carry 
ing  the  empty  dishes,  from  which  Uncle  Phin  had 
taken  the  remnants  of  food  for  his  own  use. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

• 

AWAKENED    AT    MIDNIGHT. 

THE  next  morning  Mi's.  Dustin  was  greatly  sur 
prised  on  coming  down  stairs  to  find  that  no 
fire  had  been  made  in  the  kitchen  stove,  and  that 
the  water-buckets,  standing  on  a  shelf  over  the  sink, 
were  empty.  Nothing  of  this  kind  had  happened 
since  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  came  there  to  live, 
nearly  two  months  before;  for  to  light  the  fire  and 
bring  fresh  water  into  the  house  were  among  the  very 
first  of  Uncle  Phfn's  morning  duties.  Arthur  had 
meant  to  get  up  very  early  this  morning  and  do 
these  things,  with  a  vague  hope  that  the  old  negro's 
absence  might  not  be  noticed ;  but  he  was  so  thor 
oughly  exhausted  by  the  events  of  the  preceding 
day  and  night,  that  he  overslept  and  only  awoke 
with  a  start  as  his  Aunt  Nancy  entered  the  kitchen. 
Now,  wide-awake,  the  boy  lay  trembling  in  bed 
and  wondered  what  would  happen.  He  heard  his 

58 


AWAKENED  AT  MIDNIGHT.  59 

aunt  go  out  to  the  barn  and  call  "  Phin  !  Uncle 
Phin ! "  but  there  was  no  answer,  though  the  call 
was  repeated  several  times.  Then  she  came  back 
muttering  something  about  "  lazy  and  worthless  old 
niggers,"  and  Arthur  heard  her  making  the  fire.  Still 
anxious  to  take  Uncle  Phin's  place  as  far  as  possible, 
he  jumped  up,  and  hastily  slipping  on  his  ragged 
clothes,  picked  up  an  armful  of  wood  that  he  carried 
into  the  kitchen. 

His  aunt  looked  at  him  sharply :  "  Where  is 
Phin  ? "  she  demanded. 

"I  do  not  know,"  answered  the  boy. 

"  Humph  !  I  might  have  expected  you  would  say 
that,"  she  replied.  "How  did  you  know  I  wanted 
any  wood,  then  ?  " 

"I  heard  you  calling  Uncle  Phin,  and  thought 
perhaps  that  was  what  you  wanted  him  for,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  know  so  well  what  I  want,  per 
haps  you  know  that  I  want  you  to  get  out  of  this 
kitchen  and  keep  out  of  the  way  while  I  am  getting 
breakfast,"  said  Mrs.  Dustin,  angrily. 

It  is  always  those  whom  we  have  injured  the  most 
that  we  dislike  the  most ;  and,  with  the  recollection 


60  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

of  her  cruelty  toward  this  gentle  child  fresh  in  her 
mind,  the  mere  sight  of  him  filled  her  with  anger. 

So  the  little  fellow  wandered  out  to  the  barn,  and 
felt  very  lonely  as  he  climbed  up  on  the  hay-mow  to 
make  sure  that  his  dearest  earthly  friend  had  indeed 
gone.  He  sat  down  to  wonder  where  Uncle  Phin 
was,  and  how  long  it  would  be  before  he  would  come 
to  take  him  away  from  that  unhappy  place.  He 
wished  that  he  might  stay  right  where  he  was,  and 
not  be  compelled  to  see  any  of  the  family  again,  and 
was  feeling  very  wretched  and  forlorn  generally. 
All  at  once  he  heard  Cynthia's  voice  calling  the 
chickens  around  her  on  the  barn  floor  where  she 
fed  them  every  morning.  Here  was  somebody  for 
whom  he  cared,  and  the  thought  that  he  was  so 
soon  to  leave  her,  probably  forever,  filled  him  with  a 
pang  of  mingled  pain  and  love. 

He  slid  down  from  the  hay-mow  to  where  his  little 
cousin  stood,  and  as  she  threw  her  arms  about  his 
neck  and  kissed  him  and  told  him  how  much  she 
loved  him  and  how  sorry  she  was  for  him,  he  began 
to  realize  how  hard  it  would  be  to  part  from  her, 
and  to  wonder  if  after  all  he  ought  to  run  away  with 
Uncle  Phin. 


A  WAKENED  A  T  MIDNIGHT.  6 1 

Cynthia  was  a  loving  and  lovable  little  soul,  and 
though  she  had  a  freckled  face,  it  was  lighted  by  a 
pair  of  glorious  brown  eyes.  Her  hair  was  of  a  rich 
brown,  flecked  with  specks  of  red  gold  where  the 
sunlight  shone  through  it.  It  was  just  such  hair  as 
the  sun  loves  to  kiss,  and  the  merry  wind  delighted 
to  toss  it  into  the  most  bewitching  tangles  whenever 
it  was  not  closely  imprisoned  under  the  little  pink 
sun-bonnet.  It  reminded  Arthur  of  his  own  dear 
mother's  hair,  and  often  when  they  were  playing  to 
gether  he  would  snatch  off  the  pink  sun-bonnet  just 
for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  ripple  down  over  her 
shoulders.  His  own  used  to  be  long,  almost  as  long 
as  Cynthia's,  but  his  Aunt  Nancy  had  cut  it  off  when 
he  first  came  to  live  there,  and  it  had  been  clipped 
short  ever  since,  greatly  to  Uncle  Phin's  sorrow. 

While  Arthur  and  Cynthia  were  feeding  the 
chickens,  and  the  former  was  almost  forgetting  his 
recent  loneliness,  Mr.  Dustin  came  into  the  barn. 
He  greeted  both  the  children  pleasantly,  and  even 
kissed  them,  a  thing  that  Arthur  wondered  at,  for 
he  could  not  remember  that  it  had  ever  happened 
before.  Then  he  asked,  "  Do  you  know  where  Uncle 
Phin  is,  Arthur  ? " 


62  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  I  think  he  has  gone  away,"  replied  the  boy, 
flushing  and  looking  down,  for  it  seemed  somehow 
as  though  he  were  not  exactly  telling  the  truth. 

"  Do  you  know  where  he  has  gone  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  do  not,"  was  the  honest  reply,  and  the 
boy  looked  his  questioner  squarely  in  the  face  as  he 
made  it. 

"  Well,  I  believe  you,  of  course,"  said  his  uncle, 
"  and  I  suppose  he  must  have  taken  it  into  his  head 
to  leave  us,  though  it  seems  very  strange  that  he 
should  have  done  so  without  bidding  you  good-bye, 
or  telling  you  where  he  was  going." 

This  was  too  much  for  Arthur's  sense  of  honor, 
and  speaking  up  manfully,  he  said :  "  He  did  tell  me 
he  w^as  going  away,  Uncle  John,  and  bid  me  good-bye 
but  he  did  n't  tell  me  where  he  was  going,  and  he 
did  n't  want  me  to  say  anything  about  it  unless  I 
had  to." 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  told  me  this,"  said  Mr.  Dus- 
tin,  "  and  since  he  has  gone  I  must  say  I  am  not 
very  sorry.  Now  come  in  to  breakfast." 

That  morning  Mr.  Dustin  took  Arthur  and  Cyn 
thia  with  him  to  the  well  he  was  drilling,  and,  to 
their  great  delight,  allowed  them  to  stay  there  all 


A  WAKENED  A  T  MIDNIGHT.  63 

day.  When  they  reached  home  that  evening  Arthur 
was  so  emboldened  by  his  uncle's  unusual  kindness, 
that  he  ventured,  in  his  presence,  to  make  mention 
of  the  book  of  fairy  tales  that  his  Aunt  Nancy  had 
taken  from  him.  He  said  : 

"  Is  n't  the  book  the  beautiful  lady  gave  me  my 
very  own,  Aunt  Nancy  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  it  is,"  answered  Mrs.  Dustin,  shortly. 

"  Well,  then,  don't  you  think  I  might  have  it  just 
to  look  at  ?  " 

"  I  said  you  might  have  it  when  I  got  ready  to 
give  it  to  you.  " 

Then  Mr.  Dustin  inquired  what  book  they  referred 
to,  and  when  it  was  explained  to  him  he  said : 

"  Well,  I  guess  your  aunt  is  ready  to  let  you  have 
it  this  very  minute,  are  n't  you,  wife  ? " 

"  There  was  no  mistaking  his  meaning ;  and,  very 
ungraciously,  Aunt  Nancy  took  the  precious  book 
down  from  its  high  shelf  and  tossed  it  on  the 
table. 

Arthur  seized  it  eagerly,  and  until  the  children 
were  sent  to  bed  they  and  Mr.  Dustin  enjoyed  look 
ing  at  its  many  beautiful  illustrations.  That  night 
Arthur  slept  with  it  under  his  pillow  and  it  must 


64  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

have  influenced  his  dreams  for  they  were  very  pleas 
ant  ones. 

The  following  day  was  also  a  happy  one  for  Ar 
thur  and  Cynthia,  for  they  spent  most  of  it  sitting 
close  together  under  the  roots  of  the  great  over 
turned  tree  that  was  their  especial  retreat  absorbed 
in  the  book,  and  discussing,  in  their  wise  childish 
way,  several  of  its  charming  stories  that  Arthur  read 
aloud  to  his  little  cousin. 

The  boy  was  beginning  to  think  that  life  in  this 
place  was  not  so  very  cheerless  after  all,  and  was  be 
coming  more  than  ever  doubtful  of  the  expediency  of 
running  away,  when  an  incident  took  place  that  re 
stored  all  his  previous  resolves.  Cynthia  had  been 
called  in  by  her  mother  to  sew  on  her  hated  patch 
work,  and  Arthur  was  sitting  alone,  when  suddenly 
a  great,  squirming,  half-dead  snake  was  dropped  on 
him  from  above.  With  a  cry  of  horror  the  startled 
boy  sprang  up  just  in  time  to  see  his  Cousin 
Dick's  grinning  face,  and  hear  him  say,  "  That 's 
only  part  of  what  you  '11  get  before  long,  you  little 
sneak,  you." 

That  night  as  he  slept  with  his  precious  book 
clasped  tightly  in  his  arms,  he  was  again  awakened 


A  WAKENED  A  T  MIDNIGHT.  65 

by  a  hand  laid  lightly  oil  his  forehead.  As  he  sprang 
to  a  sitting  posture,  Uncle  Phin  bent  lovingly  over 
him,  saying : 

"  Sh-h-h,   Honey  !       Ebberyting  's  ready,  an  it 's 
high  time  fer  us  to  be  gittin  away  fram  hyar.  " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A    HURRIED     FLIGHT. 

THERE  was  no  need  for  Arthur  to  ask  any 
questions,  when  he  was  roused  in  the  middle 
of  the  second  night  after  Uncle  Phin's  departure. 
He  realized  at  once  what  was  required  of  him,  and 
the  heaviness  of  sleep  instantly  vanished,  leaving 
him  keenly  wide  awake.  Stepping  softly  from  his 
bed,  he  quickly  dressed,  while  the  old  negro  gathered 
together  everything  belonging  to  his  "lil  Marse," 
and  placed  the  things  in  a  corn-sack  that  he  had 
brought  for  that  purpose. 

"  Is  dat  yo  book,  Honey  ? "  he  whispered,  noticing 
the  volume  of  fairy  tales  lying  on  the  bed. 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  own  precious  book  that  the 
beautiful  lady  gave  me  ;  but  don't  put  it  in  the  bag, 
Uncle  Phin,  I  want  to  carry  it  myself." 

Then  the  thoughtful  little  fellow,  since  he  could 
not  bid  Cynthia  good-bye,  and  feared  she  might  feel 

66 


A   HURRIED  FLIGHT.  67 

hurt  if  he  went  away  without  a  word,  begged  his 
companion  to  wait,  just  a  minute,  while  he  wrote 
her  a  note.  He  wrote  it  by  the  bright  moonlight, 
on  a  bit  of  brown  paper,  with  the  stump  of  a  lead- 
pencil,  so  that  it  was  not  a  very  elegant  production, 
but  it  answered  its  purpose,  and  was  tenderly  cher 
ished  for  many  a  day  by  the  little  girl  who  received 
it  the  next  morning.  In  it,  in  a  big,  scrawling  hand, 
was  written  : 

"  DEAR  CYNTHIA  :  I  have  been  so  much  trouble 
here,  specially  to  Aunt  Nancy  and  Dick,  that  I  am 
going  away  with  uncle  Fin,  to  find  another  home. 
I  love  you  dearly,  and  sometime  I  hope  I  shall  come 
back  and  see  you.  Good-bye,  from 

"  Your  loving  cousin, 

"  ARTHUR." 

Although  the  old  negro  was  in  a  hurry  to  be  off, 
he  waited  patiently  while  Arthur  slowly  wrote  this 
note.  To  him  writing  was  one  of  the  most  mysteri 
ous  and  difficult  of  arts ;  and,  gazing  admiringly  at 
the  young  penman,  he  murmured  to  himself : 

"  What  a  fine  lilly  gen'l'man  him  be  to  be  shuah. 
Him  only  twelve  year  ole  ;  but  settiii  dar  an  er  writin 
like  he  was  a  hundred." 


68  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

When  the  note  was  finished  it  was  pinned  to  the 
pillow  of  the  cot-bed,  and,  with  a  lingering  look  at 
the  place  that  had  sheltered  him  for  a  year,  the  chijd 
stepped  out  and  softly  closed  the  door.  Then  clasp 
ing  his  precious  book  tightly  under  his  arm,  and 
trustingly  following  the  old  negro,  Arthur  started 
on  the  wonderful  journey  that  was  to  change  the 
whole  course  of  his  life,  though  he  was  still  ignorant 
of  their  destination. 

When  they  were  safely  behind  the  barn,  out  of 
sight  and  hearing  of  the  house;  Uncle  Phin  stopped 
and  said : 

"  Dere  's  only  one  ting  trubblin  dis  yeah  ole  woolly 
head.  Kin  you  tell,  Honey,  fer  shuah,  what  way  de 
ribber  ober  yander  is  a  runnin'  ? " 

"Which,  the  Alleghauy?  Why,  south,  of  course," 
answered  Arthur,  wondering  at  the  question. 

"  Bat  's  what  I  lowed  it  done  ! "  exclaimed  the 

* 
old  man.     "  I  knowed  it  didn7  run  yeast,  kase  dat  ar 

way  de  sun  rise,  and  I  knowed  it  didn'  run  wes,  kase 
dat  ar  way  him  a  settin  ;  but  I  wasn'  rightly  shuah 
him  didn'  run  to  de  norf.  I  was  figgerin  all  de  time 
dough  on  him  running  to  de  souf,  an  now  we'm  git 
back  to  ole  Ferginuy  easy  an  sartin." 


A   HURRIED  FLIGHT.  69 

"  To  Virginia  !  "  cried  Arthur,  in  dismay.  "  Are 
we  going  to  try  and  go  way  to  Virginia,  Uncle 
Phin  ? " 

"Ob  cose  we  is,  Honey.  We'se  er  gwine  to  Fer- 
ginny,  an  Dalecourt,  an  yo  granpaw,  an  de  lil  ole 
cabin  by  the  inagnole  tree.  We  is  gwine  to  yo  own 
shuah  'nough  home,  Honey." 

"  But  how  are  we  ever  going  to  travel  so  far  ? " 

"  You  '11  see,  Honey  !  you  '11  see  dreckly,"  chuckled 
the  other.  "  I  'se  got  a  great  'sprise  in  sto  fer  you. 
Hyar's  de  kerridge  a  waitin  on  us  now,  and  Misto 
Barlow  is  gwine  dribe  us  to  the  steamboat." 

They  were  now  on  the  road,  at  some  distance  from 
the  house,  and  as  Uncle  Phin  spoke,  Arthur  saw, 
drawn  up  to  one  side  in  the  shadow  of  a  clump  of 
trees,  Brace  Barlow's  team,  and,  leaning  against  the 
light  wagon,  the  young  man  himself. 

"  Oh,  Brace  !  "  he  cried,  springing  forward  the  mo 
ment  he  saw  who  it  was,  "  I  'm  so  glad !  I  did  n't 
want  to  go  away  without  seeing  you  again.  Are  you 
really  going  with  us  ? " 

"  I  wish  I  could  go  with  you  all  the  way,  my  boy, 
and  see  you  safe  to  your  journey's  end,  but  you  know 
I  can't  leave  my  old  mother.  So  I  am  only  going  to 


70  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

give  you  a  lift  for  a  little  way  and  see  that  you 
get  a  good  start.  Jump  in  quick  now  for  we  Ve 
got  a  long  drive  ahead  of  us  and  I  must  be  back  by 
daylight." 

As  the  spirited  horses  dashed  away  over  the  moon 
lit  road  with  Arthur  nestled  between  Brace  and 
Uncle  Phin  on  the  single  seat  of  the  wagon,  the  boy 
learned  how  it  happened  that  his  friend  had  been 
induced  to  aid  them  in  their  flight.  Uncle  Phin  had 
gone  directly  to  him  two  nights  before,  and  roused  his 
indignation  by  describing  the  unhappy  life  his  young 
charge  was  leading,  and  how  much  he  suffered  at  the 

O  O7 

hands  of  Mrs.  Dustin  and  her  children.  Then  he 
told  Brace  of  Dalecourt,  and  gave  him  to  understand 
that  Colonel  Dale  was  ready  to  receive  his  grandson 
with  open  amis,  whenever  he  should  go  to  him. 

The  kind-hearted  young  fellow,  entertaining  a  sin 
cere  regard  for  the  little  chap  who  had  recently  ren 
dered  him  so  great  a  service,  readily  agreed  to  a  plan 
that  promised  so  much  of  good  to  the  boy,  and  will 
ingly  consented  to  assist  him  and  Uncle  Phin  to  make 
a  start  on  their  journey.  He  devoted  two  whole 
days  to  the  task  of  preparing  for  it,  and  did  so  much 
more  than  Uncle  Phin  had  dared  ask  or  hope  for,  as 


A   HURRIED    FLIGHT   BY    MOONLIGHT.       (Page  70.) 


A   HURRIED  FLIGHT.  7 1 

to  win  the  old  man's  everlasting  gratitude  and  ren 
der  the  first  stage  of  their  journey  comparatively 
easy. 

For  some  time  Arthur  enjoyed  the  exciting  night 
ride  over  the  steep  mountain  roads,  across  deep 
valleys,  and  through  forests,  all  bathed  in  the  glo 
rious,  unclouded  moonlight.  He  did  not  ask  whither 
he  was  being  taken.  Nestled  warmly  between  his 
two  best  friends  he  felt  perfectly  safe  and  happy. 
He  knew  that  they  would  do  what  was  best  for 
him,  and  the  very  mystery  and  uncertainty  attend 
ing  this  part  of  their  journey  lent  it  a  fascination. 
At  length  his  weary  head  nodded,  the  heavy  eyelids 
closed,  and,  sound  asleep,  he  was  unconscious  of  his 
surroundings  until  the  horses  stopped,  and  he  awoke 
to  find  himself  being  lifted  from  the  wagon. 

There  was  a  gleam  of  moonlit  water  in  his  eyes, 
and  as  he  dimly  realized  that  he  was  on  the  bank  of  a 
river,  strong  arms  bore  him  into  the  cabin  of  a  queer- 
looking  craft  that  lay  moored  to  the  forest  trees. 
Here  the  boy  was  gently  laid  down,  and  was  vaguely 
conscious  that  Brace  Barlow  was  bidding  him  good 
bye,  when  the  sleepy  eyelids  again  closed  and  the 
child  passed  into  dream-land. 


72  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

The  young  man  stood  looking  at  the  sleeping  boy 
for  a  full  minute.  As  he  did  so  he  said  softly: 
"Dear  little  chap  !  I  hate  to  have  you  go  away,  and 
to  think  I  may  never  see  you  again.  But  I  suppose 
it 's  the  best  thing  to  be  done,  or  I  would  n't  have 
lifted  a  hand  to  help  it  along.  I  only  hope  it  will 
come  out  all  right,  and  that  you  '11  have  a  happier 
life  in  the  place  you  're  going  to  than  you  ever  could 
have  had  here.  God  bless  you." 

It  was  a  benediction,  as  well  as  the  farewell  of 
one  brave  soul  to  another.  As  he  uttered  it  the 
young  man  slipped  a  bank  bill  between  two  pages 
of  the  book  the  boy  had  clasped  so  closely,  but 
which  had  now  fallen  from  his  hands. 

"  It  's  little  enough,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he 
turned  away,  "  but  it  's  all  I  Ve  got,  and  may  be  it 
will  help  him  out  of  a  fix  some  time."  Then  he  went 
out  to  assist  Uncle  Phin,  who  was  casting  off  the 
fastenings  of  the  boat,  and  preparing  to  push  it  from 
the  shore. 

In  another  minute  the  clumsy  old  craft  had 
swung  clear  of  the  bank,  and  was  moving  slowly 
down  stream  in  the  shadow  of  the  great  trees  that 
grew  to  the  water's  edge.  Brace  Barlow  watched 


A   HURRIED  FLIGHT.  73 

it  until  it  became  a  part  of  the  shadows,  and  he 
could  no  longer  distinguish  the  white-headed  figure 
bending  over  the  long  sweep  that  was  made  to  do 
duty  as  a  steering  oar  or  rudder.  Then  he  again 
mounted  the  seat  of  his  light  wagon,  and  started  on 
his  long  homeward  drive,  feeling  more  lonely  than 
he  had  ever  felt  in  all  his  life. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ON    BOARD    THE    ARK. 

r  I  ^HE  craft  on  which  the  old  man  and  the  sleep- 
-I-  ing  boy  were  now  slowly  drifting  down  the 
broad,  moonlit  stream,  was  a  tiny  house-boat,  such 
as  are  common  on  all  American  rivers.  It  had 
floated  down,  empty  and  ownerless,  with  the  high 
waters  of  the  preceding  spring,  and  had  stranded 
and  been  left  by  the  receding  flood  at  the  point 
where  Uncle  Phin  discovered  it  some  weeks  before. 
It  was  a  small,  flat-bottomed  scow,  on  which  was 
built  a  low  house,  ten  feet  long  and  six  wide.  This 
house  contained  but  a  single  room ;  and  beyond  it, 
at  either  end,  the  deck  of  the  scow  projected  about 
four  feet.  At  each  end  of  the  house  was  a  door, 
and  on  each  side  a  square  hole  or  window,  that 
closed  with  a  wooden  shutter. 

At  the  stern  was  a  steering  oar,  as  has  been  stated. 
It  hung  on  a  swivel  and  its  long  handle  projected 

74 


ON  BOARD  THE  ARK.  75 

up  over  the  end  of  the  roof,  on  which  the  steersman 
stood.  From  each  side  of  the  rg>of  hung  a  heavy 
sweep,  by  means  of  which  the  craft  might  be 
slowly  propelled  or  turned  in  any  desired  direction. 
When  not  in  use,  the  lower  ends  of  these  could  be 
lifted  from  the  water  by  ropes  attached  to  their 
blades,  and  fastened  to  the  sides  of  the  house.  A 
rude  ladder  reached  from  each  of  the  small  end 
decks  to  the  top  of  the  roof.  The  whole  affair  was 
strong  and  in  good  condition,  but  rough  and  un- 
painted. 

When  it  came  down  with  the  flood  and  stranded 
on  the  river  bank,  it  contained  nothing  in  the  shape 
of  furniture,  save  a  couple  of  bunks  built  against 
the  sides,  the  same  number  of  rough  benches,  and 
several  shelves  put  up  here  and  there  in  convenient 
corners. 

Uncle  Phin  had  not  thought  of  making  use  of 
this  stranded  craft,  when  he  first  found  it  among  the 
trees  that  he  was  marking  to  be  cut  down  for  fire 
wood.  He  slept  in  it  one  night,  and  merely  regarded 
it  as  a  convenient  shelter  that  he  could  occupy  when 
working  in  that  distant  and  lonely  place.  When, 
however,  he  and  Arthur  conceived  the  idea  of  run- 


76  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

ning  away,  and  he  made  up  his  miiid  that  if  they 
did,  it  must  be  to  travel  in  the  direction  of  Dale- 
court,  a  vision  of  the  little  old  house-boat  crossed  his 
mind. 

If  it  could  only  be  got  into  the  water,  and  should 
prove  to  be  tight  and  sound,  how  easy  and  pleasant 
it  would  be  to  float  down  the  river  in  it.  Whenever 
they  had  gone  as  far  as  they  saw  fit  by  water,  they 
could  probably  sell  the  boat  for  enough  money  to 
meet  their  expenses  on  the  rest  of  the  journey.  It 
seemed  a  fine  scheme,  and  Uncle  Phin  hastened  to  lay 
it  before  Brace  Barlow  and  ask  his  advice  concern 
ing  it. 

The  young  man  listened  to  it  with  great  interest, 
and  then  they  drove  over  to  take  a  look  at  the 
stranded  craft.  After  a  careful  examination,  Brace 
said  that,  with  a  little  calking  of  its  seams,  the  boat 
could  be  made  tight  and  river-worthy,  and  that  Un 
cle  Phin's  plan  seemed  to  him  a  first-class  one.  He 
furthermore  offered  his  own  labor  and  the  use  of  his 
team  to  help  prepare  the  craft  for  its  voyage,  and  get 
it  once  more  afloat. 

This  offer  was  thankfully  accepted,  and  the  two 
succeeding  days  had  been  busy  ones  for  both  men 


ON  BOARD  THE  ARK.  77 

and  horses.  It  was  found  necessary  to  make  several 
trips  back  and  forth  between  Brace  Barlow's  house 
and  the  "  Ark,  "  as  he  called  the  boat.  Then  they 
calked  her  open  seams,  and  smeared  them  thickly 
with  pitch.  They  constructed  a  rude  track  of  straight 
young  tree-trunks,  from  the  boat  to  the  water,  into 
which,  aided  by  rollers,  long  levers,  and  the  horses, 
they  finally  succeeded  in  launching  her.  After  this 
they  had  the  sweeps  to  make,  and,  as  there  was  no 
stove,  Uncle  Phin  built  a  fire-place  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor,  near  one  end  of  the  cabin.  This  he  did 
by  forming  a  square  of  large  rocks,  filling  it  with 
small  stones,  and  covering  the  whole  with  a  thick 
layer  of  earth.  They  filled  the  bunks  with  sweet, 
fresh  straw,  and  made  pillows  of  the  flour  sacks 
stuffed  with  the  same  material.  Brace  Barlow  cov 
ered  one  of  these  bunks  with  a  coarse  sheet  and  a 
blanket  drawn  from  his  own  slender  stock  of  house 
hold  goods.  Uncle  Phin  had  his  own  bedding,  that 
consisted  of  a  thin  old  army  blanket  and  a  tattered 
comforter.  He  also  had  an  axe,  which  was  the  only 
piece  of  valuable  property  that  he  possessed. 

Then  Brace  Barlow  bought  several  cooking  uten 
sils,  a  few  dishes,  and  a  small  supply  of  provisions, 


78  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

to  which  he  added  potatoes  and  a  dozen  eggs  from 
his  own  little  farm. 

"When  all  this  had  been  accomplished,  the  two 
men  surveyed  their  work  with  great  satisfaction,  and 
nothing  but  his  duty  to  his  mother  prevented  Brace 
Barlow  from  joining  the  party  and  making  the  voy 
age  down  the  river  with  them. 

From  information  furnished  by  Uncle  Phin  the 
young  man  gained  an  idea  that  the  greater  part  of 
their  journey  was  to  be  performed  by  water,  and 
that  Dalecourt  was  somewhere  in  West  Virginia, 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  point  to  which  the  ark 
could  be  navigated. 

This  was  also  Uncle  Phin's  idea  when  he  learned 
that  the  river  on  which  his  craft  was  launched 
flowed  into  the  Ohio,  which  in  turn  washed  one  of  the 
borders  of  West  Virginia.  This  new  name  meant 
nothing  to  him.  There  had  been  but  one  Virginia 
when  he  left  it,  and  even  of  its  extent  he  had  not  the 
slightest  conception.  He  imagined  that,  once  within 
the  borders  of  the  State,  it  would  be  a  simple  matter 
to  discover  and  reach  his  old  home.  All  he  knew  of 
travelling  and  distances  was,  that  when  he  followed 
his  young  mistress  to  New  York,  the  journey  'occu- 


ON  BOARD  THE  ARK.  79 

pied  less  than  two  days,  and  that  the  one  from  New 
York  to  the  oil  country  had  been  accomplished  in 
about  the  same  space  of  time.  So  now,  while  he  was 
well  aware  that  a  boat,  drifting  with  the  current, 
would  not  travel  quite  as  fast  as  a  train  of  cars,  he 
did  not,  for  a  moment,  doubt  that  two  or  three 
weeks  or  a  month  at  the  very  most,  would  see 
them  safely  established  beneath  the  stately  mag 
nolias  of  Dalecourt. 

Had  he  known  that  between  the  place  where  they 
must  leave  their  boat  and  their  destination,  there 
stretched  a  weary  distance  of  nearly  five  hundred 
miles,  much  of  which  was  across  rugged  mountain 
ranges,  it  is  probable  that  even  his  stout  heart  would 
have  shrunk  from  so  great  an  undertaking.  But  he 
had  no  knowledge  of  this,  and,  as  happily  ignorant 
of  what  was  before  them  as  was  his  beloved  "lil 
Marse,"  now  sleeping  so  peacefully  on  his  bed  of 
straw,  the  old  man  floated  contentedly  over  the  gleam 
ing  waters,  and  recalled  bright  pictures  of  the  dear 
old  home  he  hoped  so  soon  to  see. 

The  night  was  far  advanced;  he  was  worn  out 
with  the  fatiguing  labor  of  the  preceding  two  days, 
there  was  no  sound  to  disturb  him,  and  so,  after 


80  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

a  while,  his  head  sunk  low  over  the  steering  oar,  and 
ere  long  he  too  was  fast  asleep. 

Thus,  with  no  wakeful  eye  to  determine  her 
course,  the  Ark  drifted  on  through  the  night ;  now 
in  deep  shadows  of  great  hills  or  dark  forests,  then 
across  long  stretches  of  silvery  moonlight;  here 
caught  by  an  eddy  and  turned  slowly  round  and 
round ;  there  held  for  a  moment  on  the  point  of  some 
glistening  sand-bar  from  which  she  would  slowly 
swing  off  and  again  move  ahead. 

While  the  occupants  of  the  boat  still  slept,  the 
moonlight  paled  before  the  rosy  dawn  of  a  new  day, 
and  at  last  a  mischievous  beam  from  the  round  red 
sun,  just  peeping  over  the  eastern  hills,  found  its  way 
into  the  little  cabin  and  shone  full  across  Arthur's 
eyes.  In  a  moment  the  boy  was  wide-awake,  and 
gazing  upon  his  strange  surroundings  with  the  ut 
most  bewilderment.  He  heard  no  sound,  perceived 
no  motion,  and  had  not  the  faintest  idea  that  he  was 
on  a  boat.  He  only  wondered  whose  this  strange 
house  was,  where  it  was,  and  what  had  become  of 
Uncle  Phin,  of  whom  he  could  see  no  sign. 

He  almost  expected  to  hear  his  Aunt  Nancy's 
harsh  voice  calling  him.  Then  the  events  of  the 


ON  BOARD  THE  ARK.  8 1 

preceding  night  carne  slowly  back  to  him ;  and,  with 
a  thrill  of  joy  he  remembered  that  he  was  far  from 
her  dreaded  presence,  and  had  actually  started  on  a 
journey  toward  his  own  dear  mother's  beautiful 
home. 

But  he  must  get  up  and  find  out  where  he  was, 
and  what  had  become  of  Brace  Barlow  and  Uncle 
Phin.  At  the  very  moment  he  stepped  from  his 
straw-filled  bunk  there  came  a  crash  and  a  shock 
that  flung  him  to  the  floor.  At  the  same  instant  he 
heard  a  frightened  ciy  and  a  loud  splash.  Regain 
ing  his  feet  he  sprang  to  one  of  the  open  doors  and 
looking  out  saw  nobody.  Then  he  ran  to  the  other, 
with  the  same  result.  He  was  evidently  alone  on 
some  sort  of  a  boat,  which  at  that  moment  was  drift 
ing  beneath  a  great  iron  bridge. 

6 


CHAPTER  XL 


FOR  a  moment  poor  Arthur,  who  knew  nothing 
of  boats  and  had  never  been  on  one  before 
unless  it  was  a  New  York  ferry-boat,  stood  irresolute 
and  frightened,  without  the  slightest  idea  of  what 
had  happened  or  what  he  ought  to  do.  The  cry 
that  he  heard  had  not  sounded  a  bit  like  Uncle 
Phin's  voice,  and  if  it  was  his  what  had  become  of 
him  ?  He  was  not  on  the  boat,  nor,  so  far  as  Arthur 
could  discover,  was  he  in  the  water.  Upon  seeing 
the  bridge  overhead  the  boy  readily  comprehended 
that  the  shock  which  had  flung  him  to  the  floor  was 
caused  by  the  boat  drifting  against  one  of  its  great 
stone  piers ;  but  this  did  not  explain  Uncle  Phin's 
disappearance. 

In  his  fear  and  distress  of  mind  he  began  to  call 
wildly :  "  Uncle  Phin  !  Oh,  dear  Uncle  Phin  !  where 
are  you  ? " 

82 


UNCLE  PffJN'S  DANGER.  83 

"  Hyar  I  is,  Honey,"  came  a  feeble  voice  from  the 
other  end  of  the  boat,  and  Arthur  sprang  joyfully  in 
that  direction. 

As  the  boat  had  swung  around  on  striking  the 
bridge  pier,  its  after  end  now  pointed  down  stream, 
and  Arthur  had  been  standing  at  the  bow,  gazing 
back  on  the  place  where  he  was  afraid  Uncle  Phin 
had  been  left.  Now,  as  he  reached  the  other  end  of 
the  boat,  he  saw  the  old  man's  white  head  and  black 
face,  just  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  but  a  short 
distance  from  where  he  stood.  He  seemed  to  be 
sitting  astride  of  some  object,  to  which  he  clung 
desperately.  Every  now  and  then  it  would  sink, 
and  poor  Uncle  Phin  would  disappear  completely, 
only  to  re-appear  a  moment  later,  spluttering,  chok 
ing,  and  exhibiting  every  sign  of  the  utmost  terror. 

For  a  moment  Arthur  did  not  in  the  least  com 
prehend  the  situation,  and  could  not  imagine  what 
it  was  to  which  Uncle  Phin  was  clinging.  When  it 
suddenly  occurred  to  him  that  it  was  the  long  steer 
ing  sweep,  the  other  end  of  which  projected  above 
his  head  over  the  roof  of  the  cabin,  his  first  im 
pulse,  and  the  one  on  which  he  acted,  was  to  spring 
to  this  inboard  end  and  throw  his  weight  upon  it, 


84  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

with  the  idea  of  lifting  the  old  negro  clear  of  the 
water.  As  the  steering  sweep  was  a  very  nicely 
balanced  see-saw,  and  as  Uncle  Phin's  body  in  the 
water,  weighed  less  than  Arthur's  out  of  it,  the  boy's 
effort  was  crowned  with  a  complete  success,  though 
its  result  was  not  exactly  what  ho  had  anticipated. 

To  be  sure,  as  Arthur  flung  himself  upon  one  end 
of  the  long  pole,  the  old  man,  astride  the  bit  of  plank 
fastened  to  its  other  end,  was  lifted  into  the  air.  It 
was,  however,  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  that 
he  lost  his  balance,  toppled  over,  and  again  disap 
peared  headforemost  beneath  the  water.  At  the 
same  time  the  boy,  at  the  inner  end  of  the  see 
saw,  was  bumped  down  on  the  cabin  roof.  Then 
Uncle  Phin's  end  again  descended  into  the  water, 
just  in  time  for  the  old  man  to  grasp  it  as  he  came 
to  the  surface. 

With  great  difficulty  he  struggled  into  his  former 
position,  and  turning  a  reproachful  gaze  on  Arthur 
said: 

"  Don't  you  do  it  again,  Honey.  I  'se  no  doubt  you 
means  all  right ;  but  anodder  fling  like  dat  ar,  would 
drown  de  old  man  shuah." 

"  I    did   n't    mean    to,    Uncle   Phin !     Indeed,  I 


UNCLE  PHIN'S  DANGER.  85 

did  n't ! "  cried  poor  Arthur,  in  great  distress.  "  I 
only  meant  to  try  and  help  you  and  lift  you  from 
the  water." 

"Well,  you  done  it,  Honey,  shuah  'miff ;  but  I 
would  n'  try  no  more  sich  'speriments.  If  you  '11 
frow  me  de  end  ob  de  rope,  what 's  lying  jes  inside 
the  do,  and  tie  de  odder  end  to  dat  ar  pos,  I  reckin  I 
kin  pull  myself  up  outen  de  water." 

Arthur  quickly  did  as  directed,  and  in  a  few  min 
utes  more  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  dear  old 
friend  rescued  from  his  perilous  position,  and  seated 
safely  on  the  deck.  As  the  water-soaked  man  sat 
there,  recovering  from  his  exhaustion,  and  grateful 
for  the  warmth  of  the  hot  morning  sun,  he  shook 
his  head,  and  said  : 

"  I  allus  heerd  tell  dat  salorin  was  a  resky  bizness, 
an  dat  dem  what  goes  down  into  de  sea  in  ships  sees 
wonerful  tings ;  but  I  nebber  spected  ole  Phin  Dale 
ebber  sperience  it  all  fer  his  own  sef." 

After  his  strength  was  somewhat  restored,  Uncle 
Phin  instructed  Arthur  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for 
any  more  bridges,  and  went  into  the  cabin  to  light  a 
fire  and  prepare  breakfast.  A  good  supply  of  dry 
wood  and  a  box  of  matches  having  been  provided, 


86  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

he  quickly  had  a  cheerful  blaze  crackling  on  his 
rude  hearth.  While  it  was  burning  down  to  a  bed 
of  red  coals,  he  mixed  the  meal,  salt,  and  water,  that 
he  intended  should  be  transformed  into  a  corn-pone, 
set  the  coffee  water  on  to  boil,  and  cut  two  slices  of 
bacon.  The  smoke  of  the  fire  found  its  way  out  of 
the  cabin  through  a  square  hatch  that  Brace  Barlow 
had  cut  in  the  roof  directly  above  it. 

In  less  than  an  hour  the  bed  of  coals  had  done  its 
duty.  The  corn-pone  had  been  baked  on  a  flat 
stone,  previously  rubbed  with  a  bacon  rind,  and  set 
up  at  a  sharp  angle  in  the  hottest  corner  of  the 
fireplace.  The  slices  of  bacon  were  done  to  a  turn, 
and  four  fresh  eggs  had  been  fried  with  them.  The 
coffee  was  hot  and  strong,  and  there  was  maple 
sugar  to  sweeten  it.  Taken  altogether,  it  was  a 
breakfast  that  would  have  pleased  a  much  more 
fastidious  person  than  hungry  little  Arthur  Dale 
Dustin,  and  he  enjoyed  it  as,  it  seemed  to  him,  he 
never  had  enjoyed  a  meal  before. 

Uncle  Phin's  delight  at  seeing  his  "  lil  Marse  "  eat 
so  heartily  was  unbounded,  and  they  both  found  so 
much  pleasure  in  their  novel  housekeeping  that  the 
mishap  of  an  hour  before  was  forgotten,  and  they 


UNCLE  PHIN'S  DANGER.  8/ 

would  willingly  have  agreed  to  drift  along  in  this 
happy  way  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

After  every  scrap  of  food  had  been  eaten,  and 
only  grounds  remained  in  the  coffee-pot,  Uncle  Phin 
began  to  clear  the  table,  which  was  an  empty  pack 
ing-box,  shake  the  table-cloth,  which  was  a  news 
paper,  and  wash  the  dishes ;  while  Arthur  set  to 
work  to  tidy  up  the  cabin.  He  made  the  beds, 
which  only  took  about  one  minute  each,  placed  his 
precious  book  carefully  on  one  of  the  shelves,  and 
then  looked  about  for  a  broom  with  which  to  sweep 
the  floor.  There  was  none. 

"  Why,  Uncle  Phin  !  "  exclaimed  the  boy,  "  if  we 
have  n't  come  off  and  forgotten  the  broom  !  " 

"  So  we  has,  Honey  !  so  we  has  !  "  replied  the  old 
man,  pausing  in  his  work  and  assuming  an  expression 
of  mock  dismay,  "  I  ricollec  now,  when  de  f  umi- 
chure  man  putten  in  dern  elergent  brack  walnut 
bedstids,  he  say,  '  Misto  Phin  Dale,  don  you  fergit 
somefin';  and  I  say,  'No,  Misto  Furnichure  man,  I 
reckin  not.'  Now,  he  mus  er  been  meauin  de  broom  all 
de  time,  an  hyar  we  is  come  off  an  lef  it  behiu." 

"  You  are  making  fun  of  me,  you  know  you  are," 
laughed  Arthur ;  "  but  really,  I  do  need  a  broom 


88  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

very  much,  for  I  can't  make  this  place  look  tidy 
without  one." 

"  You  mus  hab  one,  ob  cose,"  said  Uncle  Phin, 
"  an  we  '11  jes  run  inter  de  sho  and  fin  some  white 
birch  trees,  an  Unc  Phin  make  you  a  twig  broom,  jes 
de  fines  you  ebber  seen." 

They  were  both  glad  of  an  excuse  to  stop  and 
make  a  landing,  for  they  were  enjoying  their  voyage 
so  much  that  they  feared  it  might  come  to  an  end 
more  quickly  than  they  wished  it  to.  So  they  went 
on  deck,  and  watched  for  a  good  opportunity  to  run 
ashore. 

At  last  they  drifted  close  into  a  grassy  bank, 
above  which  were  a  number  of  huge  oil-tanks,  a 
brick  building,  and  a  neat  white  cottage.  It  was  a 
pumping  station  on  one  of  the  great  pipe  lines 
through  which  crude  petroleum  is  conveyed  from 
the  wells  of  the  oil  region  to  the  distant  seaboard 
refineries.  At  that  time  it  was  thought  necessary  to 
have  relay  stations  of  tanks,  and  pumps  to  force  the 
oil  along  from  one  to  another,  every  five  or  six  miles. 
Of  late  years,  however,  the  pumps  have  grown  larger 
and  stronger,  until,  on  a  recently  constructed  pipe 
line  leading  into  Chicago,  one  immense  pumping 


UNCLE  PfflN'S  DANGER.  89 

engine  forces  the  oil  along  the  entire  distance  of  250 
miles. 

As  the  Ark  drifted  slowly  along  in  front  of  this 
pleasant-looking  place,  Uncle  Phin,  directing  Arthur 
how  to  steer,  loosened  the  side  sweep  that  was 
farthest  from  shore,  and,  by  rowing  with  it,  headed 
their  craft  in  toward  the  bank.  In  a  minute  more 
she  was  so  close  to  it  that  Arthur  could  easily 
spring  to  the  narrow  beach,  carrying  with  him  the 
end  of  a  rope,  that  he  made  fast  to  a  tree. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    TORRENT    OF    FLAME. 

WHEN  the  boat  was  properly  secured,  Uncle 
Phin,  leaving  Arthur  to  look  out  for  it, 
shouldered  his  axe  and  went  in  search  of  a  birch 
tree.  Within  half  an  hour  he  returned,  bringing  a 
great  bundle  of  twigs  and  the  interesting  informa 
tion  that  there  was  a  little  boy  and  a  little  girl  up 
in  the  bushes  picking  blackberries. 

"  Oh,  can't  I  go  up  there  and  pick  some  too  ? " 
asked  Arthur;  "they  would  be  so  good  for  dinner, 
and  if  I  got  enough  you  might  make  a  pie,  you 
know."  He  was  fully  in  earnest,  for  he  had  such 
firm  faith  in  Uncle  Phin's  culinary  skill  that  he 
believed  he  could  make  anything  good  to  eat  that 
anybody  else  could. 

The  old  man  only  laughed  at  this,  but  said  he 
might  go  if  he  wanted  to ;  and  the  boy,  taking  a  tin- 

qo 


A   TORRENT  OF  FLAME.  91 

cup  in  which  to  hold  the  berries,  ran  off,  happily 
'enough,  to  find  the  children.  When  he  discovered 
them  they  were  both  standing  still,  bashfully  look 
ing  at  him,  the  little  girl,  in  a  pink  sun-bonnet  that 
reminded  him  of  Cynthia's,  half  hidden  behind  her 
brother  and  evidently  just  ready  to  run  away. 

The  new-comer  at  once  opened  conversation  by 
saying  :  "  How  do  you  do  ?  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you,  because  I  have  n't  very  many  friends.  My 
name  is  Arthur  Dale  Dustiu.  What  is  yours?" 

The  boy  said  his  was  Bert  and  his  sister's  was 
Sue,  and  that  their  other  name  was  Chapman. 
He  added  that  their  father  was  engineer  of  the 
pumping  station,  and  that  nobody  else  lived  any 
where  near  there. 

Within  five  minutes  they  were  thoroughly  well 
acquainted,  and  were  all  busily  picking  the  luscious 
berries  that  abounded  in  that  vicinity.  Arthur  said  it 
reminded  him  of  a  faiiy  story,  and  little  Sue  Chap 
man  said  she  loved  fairy  tales,  only  she  had  not 
heard  very  many.  So  Arthur  began  to  tell  them 
the  story  of  the  "  Mermaid,"  which  was  one  that  he 
had  read  to  Cynthia  ;  but  he  could  not  remember  it 
very  well,  and  said  if  they  would  go  down  with  him 


92  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

to  where  he  lived  lie  would  read  it  to  them  out  of 
his  book. 

They  readily  agreed  to  this,  and  were  so  de 
lighted  with  the  queer  house-boat  and  all  that  they 
saw  on  it  that  it  was  some  time  before  they  were 
ready  to  listen  to  the  story  of  the  mermaid.  When 
it  was  finished  they  said  they  must  go  home  now, 
but  invited  Arthur  to  come  up  to  the  house  and  see 
them  after  dinner. 

That  afternoon  he  met  Mr.  Chapman  and  Mrs. 
Chapman,  and  saw  the  great  pumping  engine  at 
work,  and  was  allowed  to  climb  up  and  look  into 
one  of  the  large  tanks  that  held  thousands  of  barrels 
of  oil,  and  had  altogether  a  most  interesting  and 
happy  time.  The  best  of  all  though  was  playing  with 
the  dogs,  of  which  there  were  three,  a  mother  and 
two  half-grown  pups,  all  thoroughbred  bull  terriers. 

The  boy  enjoyed  these  so  much,  and  was  so  fas 
cinated  with  their  playfulness  and  intelligence,  and 
Mr.  Chapman  took  such  a  fancy  to  him,  that  he  told 
Bert  and  Sue  they  might  make  their  new  friend  a 
present  of  one  of  the  pups  if  they  wished. 

As  Arthur  had  never  owned  a  real  live  pet  in  his 
life,  this  seemed  a  most  generous  offer  and  he 


A   TORRENT  OF  FLAME.  93 

thanked  the  Chaprnaiis  warmly.  They  gave  him 
his  choice  of  the  two  pups,  and  each  showed  so 
many  good  points  that  it  was  a  long  time  before  he 
could  make  up  his  mind  which  to  take.  At  length 
he  chose  one  that  was  brindled,  and  had  a  white  tip 
to  his  tail.  His  name  was  "  Russet,"  but  as  the  young 
Chapmans  called  him  "  Rusty,"  Arthur  decided  that 
he  would  call  him  so  too. 

He  carried  the  pup  in  his  arms  down  to  the  boat ; 
but  all  the  way  it  cried  piteously  at  being  taken 
from  its  home,  and  struggled  hard  to  get  free. 
Arthur  made  a  bed  for  it  at  the  foot  of  his  own 
bunk  and  tried  to  feed  it,  but  the  pup  refused  to  ac 
cept  his  kindness,  and  only  cried  and  whined  and 
begged  to  be  let  out  at  one  of  the  closed  doors. 
Finally  even  good-natured  Uncle  Phin  lost  his  pa 
tience  and  said  the  pup  needed  a  good  whipping  to 
make  him  keep  quiet. 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed,  Uncle  Phin  !  "  exclaimed  Arthur, 
reproachfully  ;  "  I  would  n't  whip  him  for  anything. 
How  would  you  like  to  be  whipped  because  you 
cried  at  being  taken  away  from  your  mamma  ?  I  Ve 
made  up  my  mind  that  I  won't  make  him  unhappy 
any  longer ;  and  so,  though  I  should  love  dearly  to 


94  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

keep  him  if  he  wanted  to  stay,  I  shall  just  carry  him 
,back  to  his  home.  " 

True  to  this  resolve,  the  tender-hearted  little  fel 
low  did  carry  poor  "  Rusty"  back  up  the  hill,  and 
was  made  even  happier  by  witnessing  the  extrava 
gant  joy  of  the  pup  and  the  mother  dog  at  once 
more  seeing  each  other,  than  he  had  been  by  receiv 
ing  the  Chapman s'  gift. 

They  made  him  stay  to  supper,  after  which  the 
whole  family  said  they  would  escort  him  down  to 
the  boat,  of  which  Bert  and  Sue  had  talked  so  much, 
that  their  parents  were  curious  to  see  it.  So,  taking 
a  lantern  with  them,  for  it  was  growing  dark,  they 
started  down  the  slope,  at  the  bottom  of  which  they 
met  Uncle  Phin,  just  coming  to  look  for  his  "  lil 
Marse,"  at  whose  long  absence  he  had  grown  anxious. 

Mr.  Chapman,  who  was  much  interested  in  this 
voyage  of  the  old  negro  and  his  young  master,  had 
brought  down  a  small  lamp  and  a  gallon  of  oil  for 
it,  as  a  present  to  them ;  for  Arthur  had  told  hini 
that  they  had  no  light  on  board.  Mrs.  Chapman 
brought  a  loaf  of  bread.  Bert  brought  half  a  dozen 
eggs  laid  by  his  own  hen,  and  little  Sue,  who  could 
think  of  nothing  else,  brought  a  bunch  of  flowers 


A   TORRENT  OF  FLAME.  95 

from  her  own  garden.  They  had  a  very  merry  time 
over  the  presentation  of  these  gifts,  for  each  of 
which  Uncle  Phin  returned  thanks  in  his  own  funny, 
earnest  way. 

When  Arthur  said  he  wished  he  had  something 
to  give  in  return  for  them  to  remember  him  by,  Mrs. 
Chapman  said  that  if  he  would  only  read  to  them 
one  of  the  stories  out  of  his  fairy  book  that  the 
children  had  told  her  of,  it  would  be  one  of  the  most 
acceptable  presents  he  could  make  them.  This  the 
boy  was  willing  enough  to  do,  and  when  the  new 
lamp  was  lighted  and  placed  on  the  packing-box 
that  served  as  a  table,  and  they  had  all  found  seats, 
he  read  to  them  the  stoiy  of  "  Little  Klaus "  who 
made  bushels  of  money  by  everything  that  he 
undertook. 

When  he  finished  they  all  thanked  him,  and  Bert 
said  if  he  had  a  bushel  of  money  he  would  buy  a 
pony.  Little  Sue  said  she  would  get  a  great  big 
doll,  as  big  as  a  live  baby,  that  could  talk ;  and  her 
mother  said  if  they  only  had  money  enough,  they 
would  live  near  a  town  where  they  could  have 
neighbors,  and  where  the  children  could  go  to 
school.  Mr.  Chapman  said  it  would  be  very  nice  to 


g6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

have  a  bushel  of  money  and  a  fine  house,  but  that 
they  should  be  very  thankful  for  the  one  they  had, 
especially  when  such  a  storm  was  coming  up,  as  was 
about  to  burst  over  them  at  that  moment. 

Sure  enough  it  was  thundering,  and  the  guests  of 
the  evening  had  not  been  gone  from  the  Ark  many 
minutes  before  great  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall. 
Nearer  and  nearer  swept  the  storm,  and  blacker  and 
blacker  grew  the  night,  until  the  awful  glare  of 
the  lightning  was  almost  continuous,  and  the  crash 
of  the  thunder  was  deafening.  Silently,  hand  in 
hand,  the  two  occupants  of  the  house-boat  sat  and 
watched  it. 

Suddenly  there  fell  a  blinding,  dazzling  ball  of 
fire,  accompanied  by  such  an  awful  burst  of  thunder 
as  shook  the  solid  earth.  The  next  instant  the 
whole  sky  was  lighted  by  a  vast  column  of  flame 
that  seemed  to  spring  from  the  hillside  directly 
above  the  place  where  the  Ark  lay  moored.  One  of 
the  great  oil  tanks  had  been  struck  by  the  lightning, 
and  now  a  raging,  roaring  mass  of  flame  shot  up 
fifty  feet  into  the  air  above  it,  lighting  the  river  and 
the  whole  storm-swept  country  for  miles  around 
with  its  fierce,  lurid  glare.  It  was  a  grand  but  fear- 


A   TORRENT  OF  FLAME.  97 

f  ul  sight,  and  the  boy  clung  closer  to  the  old  man, 
as  he  gazed  upon  it  with  an  eager  fascination. 

They  could  not  at  first  understand  the  deep  boom 
ing  sounds  that  they  began  to  hear  above  the  roar 
of  the  storm,  soon  after  the  fire  broke  out,  and  which 
were  repeated  at  regular  intervals  of  a  few  minutes 
each.  Then  Arthur  remembered  what  Brace  Barlow 
had  told  him  about  firing  cannon-balls  into  burning 
oil-tanks,  that  the  oil  might  run  out  through  the 
holes  thus  made,  and  the  danger  of  an  explosion  be 
lessened.  Mr.  Chapman  was  shooting  at  this  tank 
with  a  small  cannon  that  he  kept  on  hand  for  just 
such  an  emergency. 

All  at  once  the  contents  of  the  tank  seemed  to 
boil  over.  A  fountain  of  blazing  oil  burst  from  it 
and  poured  down  its  sides,  the  oil  running  from  the 
shot-holes  near  its  base  took  fire,  and  in  another 
instant  a  fierce  torrent  of  flame  came  rushing  down 
the  slope,  directly  toward  the  little  house-boat 
moored  at  its  foot. 

Poor  Uncle  Phin  dropped  on  his  knees  in  an 
agony  of  fear,  crying :  "  O  Lawd !  O  de  good 
Lawd,  hab  mussy  on  us,  an  deliber  us  frum  de  fiery 
f  unness  "  ;  while  to  Arthur  it  seemed  as  though  they 
were  in  most  imminent  peril. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOW    THE    ARK    WAS    SAVED. 

IF  the  wind  had  been  blowing  from  across  the 
river,  so  as  to  hold  the  Ark  close  to  the  bank 
against  which  she  was  moored,  nothing  could  have 
saved  her  from  destruction  by  the  torrent  of  blazing 
oil  that  rushed  down  the  slope.  Even  her  occu 
pants  would  have  stood  but  a  slight  chance  of  escap 
ing.  The  stream  of  leaping  flame  was  so  wide,  and 
came  toward  them  with  such  extraordinary  swiftness, 
that,  before  they  could  have  reached  the  shore  and 
run  beyond  its  limits  in  either  direction,  it  would 
have  been  upon  them.  Their  only  chance  would 
have  been  to  throw  themselves  into  the  swift  current 
of  the  river  from  the  opposite  side  of  their  boat, 
with  the  hope  of  gaining  the  bank  at  a  safe  dis 
tance  below. 

Uncle  Phin  was  helpless  with  terror  and  com 
pletely  bewildered  by  the  suddenness  of  the  peril 

98 


HOW  THE  ARK  WAS  SAVED.  99 

that  threatened  them.  Thus  it  was  entirely  owing 
to  Arthur's  presence  of  ruind  and  quick  wit,  that 
their  boat  was  saved  and  they  escaped  the  necessity 
of  taking  the  desperate  plunge  that  would  probably 
have  drowned  one  or  both  of  them.  The  boy  had 
noticed  that  the  storm  came  from  over  the  hills  on 
their  side  of  the  river,  and  how,  as"  the  fierce  blasts 
swept  down  and  struck  the  broadside  of  the  Ark,  she 
tugged  and  strained  at  her  moorings.  Now  he  re 
membered  this,  and  was  quick  to  turn  his  observa 
tions  to  account. 

Seizing  the  axe  he  severed  at  a  single  blow  the 
rope  holding  the  boat  at  one  end,  and  then,  running 
to  the  other,  cut  that  with  equal  promptness.  Next, 
thrusting  a  long  pole  into  Uncle  Phin's  trembling 
hands,  he  bade  the  old  man  shove  off  from  shore 
with  all  his  might,  at  one  end,  while,  with  a 
lighter  pole,  he  did  the  same  thing  at  the  other. 
Their  feeble  strength  would  have  availed  little  but 
for  the  powerful  aid  lent  by  the  favoring  gale. 
While  this  hurled  the  advancing  flames  fiercely 
toward  them,  it  also  drove  them,  at  first  slowly,  then 
more  rapidly,  beyond  reach  of  the  danger. 

There  were  hardly  ten  feet  of  open  water  between 


TOO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  Ark  and  the  shore  she  had  just  left  when  the 
flames  sprang  down  the  bank  and  began  to  spread 
over  the  surface  of  the  river,  the  oil  burning  here  as 
readily  as  on  land.  For  a  minute  it  seemed  as 
though  the  fire  must  catch  and  devour  them  after 
all.  Its  flames  leaped  eagerly  forward,  like  a  million 
writhing  serpents,  with  red-forked  tongues,  darting 
after  their  prey. 

"Push,  Uncle  Phin  !  Push  for  your  life ! "  shouted 
Arthur  from  his  end  of  the  boat,  where  he  was 
breathlessly  exerting  every  ounce  of  strength  that 
his  sturdy  young  frame  could  yield. 

"  I  'se  a  pushin,  Honey  !  "  answered  the  old  man, 
with  the  veins  of  his  forehead  standing  out  like  whip 
cords.  "  I  is  a  pushin ;  but  onless  de  good  Lawd 
pushin  wif  us,  we  hain't  got  no  show." 

But  the  good  Lord  did  push  with  these,  his  helpless 
ones,  and  his  strong  wind  bore  their  drifting  boat 
forward  faster  than  it  did  the  hungiy  flames.  The 
current,  of  course,  set  them  down  stream  at  the  same 
time,  and  thus,  moving  in  a  diagonal  direction,  they 
soon  found  themselves  in  safety.  They  were  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  sea  of  fire,  that  extended  for  a  mile 
down  the  river,  and  a  quarter  of  that  distance  out 


HOW  THE   ARK  WAS   SAVED.  IOI 

toward  its  centre.  Then  the  old  man  and  the  boy 
laid  down  their  now  useless  poles  and  watched  the 
wonderfully  beautiful  but  fearful  sight,  while  they 
recovered  their  spent  breath. 

The  great  tank  was  still  vomiting  forth  sheets  of 
flame  and  clouds  of  smoke.  None  of  the  others  had 
caught  fire,  and  an  occasional  gleam  of  light,  re 
flected  from  the  white  walls  of  the  Chapmans' 
cottage,  showed  them  that  it  was  still  safe. 

At  length,  as  they  were  rapidly  nearing  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  river,  the  current  bore  them  around, 
a  sharp  turn  that  almost  instantly  hid  the  whole 
glowing  scene  from  them,  and  plunged  them  into  a 
darkness,  the  more  intense  on  account  of  the  recent 


glare. 


With  this  turn  of  the  river 'the  gale,  now  acting 
on  the  other  side  of  the  boat,  drove  it  back  toward 
the  bank  they  had  left,  and  thus,  for  several  hours, 
as  they  followed  the  windings  of  the  crooked 
stream,  they  were  carried  now  almost  to  one  side 
and  then  nearly  to  the  other.  As  they  could  see 
absolutely  nothing  of  where  they  were,  or  whither 
they  were  going,  they  were  quite  ignorant  of  their 
surroundings.  Nor  did  they  know  what  happened 


IO2  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

wlieii,  about  midnight,  their  boat  was  driven  vio 
lently  upon  some  obstruction,  and  its  movement  was 
suddenly  arrested. 

The  storm  had  passed  so  that  there  was  no  longer 
any  lightning  to  give  instantaneous  photographs 
of  the  scene  about  them.  The  wind  still  blew  a 
gale  ;  and,  as  they  could  hear  it  lashing  the  branches 
of  the  forest  trees,  apparently  directly  above  their 
heads,  they  concluded  that  they  must  have  been 
driven  ashore. 
•  Although  both  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  were  too 

O 

excited,  and  too  anxious,  to  go  to  bed,  there  was  no 
thing  they  could  do  to  improve  their  situation  until 
the  morning  light  should  disclose  its  features.  So 
they  closed  the  doors  and  windows  of  their  house 
and  lighted  the  new  lamp.  How  snug  and  cheerful 
the  rude  little  cabin  now  looked.  How  home-like  it 
seemed,  and  what  a  fine  shelter  it  was  from  the  gale 
that  was  howling  outside. 

I  Arthur  said  he  was  hungry ;  and,  as  Uncle  Phin 
said  he  was  hungry  also,  they  drew  upon  their  slen 
der  store  of  provisions  for  a  light  lunch,  after  which 
Arthur  read  aloud  from  his  book  the  tale  of  "  The 
Steadfast  Lead  Soldier."  The  old  negro  thought 


HOW  THE   ARK  WAS  SAVED.  1 03 

it  a  very  nice  story,  though  not  so  good  as  it  would 
be  had  the  lead  soldier  been  alive.  Then  he  told 
Arthur,  for  about  the  thousandth  time,  the  story  of 
how  Brer  Rabbit  and  Brer  Fox  went  a-fishing,  and 
before  it  was  finished  the  tired  child  was  fast  asleep. 
Then  Uncle  Phin  lifted  him  gently  into  his  bunk, 
and  finding  that  the  gale  had  subsided,  almost  to  a 
calm,  concluded  to  go  to  bed  himself. 

So  the  Ark  was  again  left  to  take  care  of  itself, 
and  when  its  inmates  next  awoke  it  was  not  only 
broad  daylight,  but  nearly  noon.  They  now  discov 
ered  that  their  craft  had  indeed  been  driven  ashore, 
on  the  same  side  of  the  river  that  they  had  left  the 
preceding  evening,  though,  of  course,  several  miles 
below  the  pumping  station.  There  were  now  no 
houses  in  sight,  nor  any  traces  of  human  beings, 
nothing  so  far  as  they  could  see  but  a  thick  forest. 
After  a  few  ineffectual  efforts  they  found  that  it  was 
useless  to  try  and  push  the  Ark  off  with  poles  into 
deep  water.  She  was  hard  and  fast  aground,  and 
they  could  not  budge  her  a  single  inch. 

So  they  decided  to  have  breakfast  first  and  make 
np  their  minds  what  to  do  afterwards,  and  while 
Uncle  Phin  prepared  the  simple  meal,  Arthur  made 


104  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  beds  and  swept  out  the  cabin  with  his  fine  new 
broom  of  birch  twisrs. 

O 

After  breakfast,  or  rather  after  dinner;  for,  al 
though  they  did  not  know  it,  it  was  past  one  o'clock 
before  they  finished  their  meal,  the  entire  crew  of 
the  Ark  got  overboard  to  examine  her  situation. 
They  found  she  had  grounded  on  a  sand-bar  that 
afforded  her  an  easy  resting-place,  but  which  also 
held  her  in  a  firm  grasp.  Uncle  Phin  cut  down  a 
young  tree,  trimmed  off  its  branches,  and,  using  it  as 
a  lever,  with  a  large  rock  as  a  fulcrum,  tried  to  pry 
the  boat  off  the  bar,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  com 
bined  strength  of  the  old  man  and  the  boy  produced 
not  the  slightest  effect  upon  her,  and  no  wonder,  for 
all  the  strength  they  could  command  was  but  weak 
ness,  compared  with  what  was  needed. 

It  was  a  very  unfortunate  situation,  particularly 
as  they  had  only  provisions  enough  to  last  a  few 
days,  and  knew  not  where  they  were  to  obtain  more. 
Then,  too,  as  it  was  now  the  month  of  October, 
no  more  high  water  could  be  expected  that  year, 
and,  in  the  meantime,  the  river  would  be  apt  to 
fall  lower  and  lower,  leaving  their  boat  high  and 
dry. 


HOW  THE  ARK  WAS   SAVED.  10$ 

lu  going  ashore  to  cut  his  lever,  Uncle  Phin  had 
discovered  a  road,  running  parallel  with  the  river. 
Now  he  proposed  to  walk  down  this  road  until  he 
came  to  a  house,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  help,  pro 
vided  Arthur  was  not  afraid  to  remain  alone  and 
look  after  the  Ark. 

Of  course  Arthur  was  not  afraid,  he  scorned  the 
idea.  What  should  he  be  afraid  of  ?  It  was  not 
likely  that  anybody  would  hurt  a  little  boy  like  him. 
So  Uncle  Phiii  left  him,  and,  wading  ashore,  disap 
peared  down  the  forest  road. 

For  some  time  the  boy  amused  himself  about 
the  boat ;  but  his  resources  were  few,  and  after  an 
hour  or  so,  he  grew  lonely,  and  began  to  watch 
anxiously  for  Uncle  Phin's  return.  Exposed  to  the 
full  glare  of  the  afternoon  sun,  the  boat  became  as 
hot  as  an  oven ;  and  finally  Arthur  decided  to  take 
his  book  and  wade  ashore.  There  he  would  find  a 
comfortable  place,  in  the  cool  shade  of  the  trees, 
from  which  he  might  the  sooner  perceive  anybody 
approaching  along  the  road. 

He  found  just  such  a  place  as  he  had  longed  for; 
a  deliciously  cool,  shady  glade,  surrounded  by 
spreading  oak  trees,  and  commanding  a  limited 


106  BORING  FOR    OIL, 

view  of  the  road.  After  sitting  here  for  some  time, 
he  discovered  that  there  were  ripe  berries  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  glade.  When  he  had  gathered 
and  eaten  these,  he  saw  more  berries  beyond  them, 
and  still  more  at  a  greater  distance.  Then  he  found 
some  lovely  flowers,  and  thought  it  would  be  a  fine 
idea  to  gather  enough  of  them  to  decorate  the  cabin 
of  the  Ark  against  Uncle  Phin's  return.  So  he 
strolled  carelessly  on,  from  berries  to  flowers,  and 
from  one  flower  to  another,  until,  all  at  once,  the 
deepening  shadows  roused  him  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  fact  that  the  sun  was  setting,  and  that  he  could 
no  longer  see  either  the  road  or  the  river. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A     CAMP     OF     TEAMPS. 

IT  was  evidently  high  time  to  be  getting  home, 
and  the  boy  started  back  in  the  direction  he 
had  just  come.  He  was  certain  that  it  was  the 
right  direction,  and  yet  the  trees  and  bushes  kept 
getting  thicker  and  thicker,  and  he  missed  the  open 
glades  through  which  he  had  been  strolling.  This 
was  clearly  the  wrong  track ;  and,  facing  directly 
about,  he  now  attempted  to  retrace  his  latest 
course. 

It  was  rapidly  growing  dark ;  strange  night  sounds 
were  beginning  to  be  heard  in  the  forest,  and  a  great 
dread  began  to  clutch  at  the  boy's  heart.  Was  he 
really  lost,  as  the  Babes  in  the  Wood  had  been,  and 
would  he  die  there,  and  be  covered  with  leaves,  so 
that  even  his  body  could  not  be  found,  and  nobody 
would  ever  know  what  had  become  of  him  ? 

107 


108  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

He  began  to  call  aloud ;  but  only  the  forest 
echoes  mocked  him,  and  the  night  birds  answered 
him  with  harsh  cries.  At  length  it  was  too  dark 
to  even  try  and  walk  any  farther.  The  little  fellow, 
frightened  and  weary,  sank  down  at  the  foot  of  a 
great  tree,  that  seemed  to  lean  over  him  with  an  air 
of  protection  and  sympathy. 

He  would  not  cry.  Uncle  Phin  had  said  that 
none  of  the  Dales  ever  cried  after  they  were  grown 
up,  and  he  was  a  Dale,  almost  grown  up.  Two  or 
three  big  tears  rolled  silently  down  his  cheeks ;  but 
then  that  was  something  that  might  happen  to  almost 
anybody,  at  any  time.  It  could  not  be  counted  as 
crying. 

As  he  sat  there  in  the  darkness,  trying  to  be  brave 
because  he  was  a  Dale,  the  sound  of  a  peculiar,  long- 
drawn,  far-away  cry,  caused  him  involuntarily  to 
look  around ;  though,  of  course,  he  did  not  expect 
to  see  anything  through  the  darkness.  He  did  see 
something,  though,  and  it  was  a  light.  It  was  not  a 
bright,  clear  light ;  but  a  dim  glow,  just  visible  be 
tween  the  tree  trunks,  and  evidently  at  quite  a  dis 
tance  from  where  he  sat. 

The  boy's  spirits  rose  with  a  bound.     He  dashed 


A    CAMP   OF  TRAMPS. 


away  the  stealthy  tear  drops,  and  sprang  to  his  feet. 
Things  were  coming  out  all  right  after  all  ;  for  a 
light  meant  people,  who,  according  to  simple-hearted 
little  Arthur's  experience  of  the  world,  would  be 
kind  to  him.  They  would  probably  invite  him  to 
stay  to  supper,  and  show  him  the  way  to  the  Ark 
afterwards.  Then  he  would  ask  them  to  help  him 
and  Uncle  Phin  get  the  boat  afloat,  and  his  becom 
ing  lost  would  turn  out  to  be  the  very  best  kind  of 
a  thing  that  could  have  happened  after  all. 

While  these  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind, 
the  boy  was  making  his  way,  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
through  the  woods  in  the  direction  of  the  light,  that 
grew  brighter  and  more  distinct  with  each  step. 
He  still  carried  his  precious  book  in  one  hand,  and 
the  great  bunch  of  flowers  that  he  had  gathered,  in 
the  other.  Suddenly  he  came  to  an  abrupt  pause  on 
the  edge  of  a  shallow  ravine,  through  which  laughed 
and  tumbled  a  small  brook.  The  sides  of  the  ravine 
were  quite  steep,  and,  almost  at  his  feet,  the  boy 
saw  a  sight  that  filled  him  with  amazement. 

About  a  glowing  fire,  occupying  all  sorts  of  easy 
positions,  were  grouped  a  number  of  men  and  one 
boy.  They  were  ragged,  dirty,  and  unshaven. 


IIO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Their  clothes  were  made  up  of  odds  and  ends.  Some 
of  them  were  smoking  short  black  pipes  ;  some  were 
talking  loudly;  and  others  lay  perfectly  still,  as 
though  asleep.  Two  of  the  number  seemed  to  be 
preparing  supper ;  for  they  were  at  work  about  the 
fire,  and  were  evidently  anxious  regarding  the  con 
tents  of  some  tin  cans,  and  several  battered  kettles. 
At  a  short  distance  from  the  fire  were  two  or  three 
rude  huts  of  poles  and  branches. 

Although  Arthur  did  not  know  it  at  the  time,  this 
was  a  tramps'  camp,  to  which  all  these  vagrants  of 
society,  who  happened  to  be  prowling  about  that 
part  of  the  country,  flocked  when  night  overtook 
them.  Sometimes  one  or  more,  who  were  tired  of 
tramping,  and  who  had  begged  or  stolen  a  stock  of 
provisions,  would  remain  here  for  several  days,  so 
that,  from  early  spring  until  quite  late  in  the 
autumn,  the  camp  was  never  without  a  greater  or 
less  number  of  occupants. 

Now,  although  Arthur  had  never  had  any  prac 
tical  experience  with  tramps,  except  to  gaze  curiously, 
from  a  respectful  distance,  at  the  few  specimens  he 
had  seen,  he  instinctively  shrank  from  making  his 
presence  known  to  the  rough-looking  fellows  gath- 


A    CAMP   OF  TRAMPS.  Ill 

ered  beneath  him.  It  was  pleasant  to  see  the  cheer 
ful  firelight,  to  hear  the  sound  of  voices,  and  to 
know  that  there  were  other  human  beings  besides 
himself  in  that  dark  forest.  It  would  also  be  very 
pleasant  to  the  hungry  boy  if  he  could  have  some 
supper.  Still,  to  venture  down  among  those  men 
might  prove  very  unpleasant.  So  Arthur  wisely 
decided  to  bear  his  hunger  as  best  he  might,  and 
study  them  from  a  safe  distance,  at  least  for  a  while 
longer. 

All  at  once,  from  some  part  of  the  camp  beyond 
the  circle  of  firelight,  came  the  same  melancholy 
long-drawn  cry  that  had  first  directed  the  boy's 
attention  to  this  place,  and  he  now  recognized  it  as 
the  howl  of  a  dog  in  distress. 

At  the  sound,  the  largest  and  most  powerful  of  all 
the  tramps,  who  had  been  lying  motionless  stretched 
at  full  length  on  the  ground,  sprang  up,  and  in  a 
fierce  voice  exclaimed : 

"  You  Kid,  fetch  that  pup  here  !  we  '11  see  if  we 
can't  give  him  something  to  ki-yi  for,  or  else  we  '11 
stop  his  infernal  yelp  entirely." 

The  one  boy  of  the  camp,  who  answered  to  the 
name  of  "  Kid,"  and  was  a  tough-looking  young 


112  BORING  FOR   OIL. 


rascal,  larger  and  apparently  a  year  or  two  older 
than  Arthur,  hastened  to  obey  this  command.  He 
disappeared,  and  in  a  minute  returned  dragging 
after  him,  by  means  of  a  bit  of  rope  about  its  neck 
that  was  evidently  choking  it,  a  dog.  As  the  bright 
firelight  fell  full  upon  the  animal,  Arthur  was 
amazed  to  recognize  it  as  the  very  one  that  had 
been  presented  to  him  by  the  Chapmans  the  day 
before.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it ;  for  there 
were  the  same  erect  sharp-pointed  ears,  the  same 
white-tipped  little  tail,  and  the  same  brindled  mark 
ings.  It  was  indeed  poor  Rusty ;  and  Arthur's 
heart  ached  to  see  him  in  so  wretched  a  plight.  How 
could  he  have  come  there  ?  What  were  they  about 
to  do  with  him  ?  This  last  question  was  quickly 
answered. 

The  big  tramp  took  the  rope  from  the  lad's  hand, 
at  the  same  time  bidding  him  go  and  cut  a  hickory 
switch.  "  See  that  it  's  a  good  one  too,"  he  added. 

This  command  was  obeyed  as  the  other  had  been, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  switch  was  ready. 

"Now  whale  him  while  I  hold  him,"  ordered  the 
big  tramp,  savagely.  "  "We  '11  give  him  a  chance  to 
do  all  his  howling  at  once,  and  then  we  '11  have  some 


A    CAMP   OF  TRAMPS.  113 

peace  for  the  rest  of  the  night.  Lay  it  on  solid,  and 
if  you  kill  him,  so  much  the  better." 

Arthur's  blood  boiled  at  these  words.  How  could 
anybody  be  so  cruel  ?  Would  the  boy  dare  beat  his 
dog? 

The  heavy  switch  was  uplifted  and  brought  down 
with  vicious  force  on  the  animal's  back.  The  dog 
uttered  a  sharp  cry  of  pain  and  terror. 

Again  was  the  switch  lifted ;  but  before  it  could 
descend  it  was  snatched  from  the  boy's  hand  and 
flung  away  ;  while  he  was  confronted  by  a  sturdy 
young  figure  with  blazing  eyes.  "How  dare  you 
strike  my  dog  ? "  cried  Arthur,  in  a  voice  that 
choked  and  trembled  with  anger.  "  He  is  mine  ! 
My  very  own  !  And  I  won't  have  him  hurt.  I  won't, 
I  say." 

The  other  boy  stared  at  this  one  in  open-mouthed 
amazement,  while  the  tramps,  who  had  been 
startled  by  the  sight  of  the  strange  little  figure,  as 
it  dashed  into  their  camp  from  the  dark  forest,  now 
gathered  about  the  two  to  see  the  fun. 

"  Well,  my  bantam, "  said  the  big  tramp  to  Ar 
thur,  "I  don't  know  who  you  are,  nor  where  you 
come  from ;  but  you  talk  pretty  big  about  your 


114  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

dog.  Kid  here  says  it 's  his  dog,  and  I  reckon  you  '11 
have  to  settle  it  between  you.  Can  you  fight  ? " 

"  I  don't  want  to  fight,  "  replied  Arthur,  looking 
the  big  tramp  bravely  in  the  face. 

"  Oh,  well  then,  it 's  the  Kid  's  dog,  and  he  '11  do  as 
he  pleases  with  him.  Kid,  give  the  cur  a  kick.  " 

The  boy  lifted  his  foot  but  again  Arthur  sprang  in 
front  of  him.  "  You  sha'n't  kick  him,  even  if  I  have 
to  fight  you  to  make  you  stop  it ! "  he  cried.  Then 
he  clenched  his  fists,  and  his  face  grew  very  pale. 

"  That 's  right,  sonny  !  "  said  the  big  tramp,  ap 
provingly.  "  I  '11  back  you  and.  hold  your  picture- 
book  and  nosegay.  Take  off  your  jacket  like  a  little 
man.  Now,  fellers,  form  a  ring  and  give  the  ban 
tams  a  fair  show. " 


CHAPTER  XV. 


ARTHUR'S  FIGHT  TO  SAVE  RUSTY. 


IN  all  his  life  Arthur  had  never  before  found  it 
necessary  to  fight,  though  he  had  certainly  re 
ceived  provocation  enough  from  his  Cousin  Dick  to 
do  so  more  than  once.  His  own  father  had  taught 
him  to  hate  fighting  and  to  avoid  it  if  possible,  as 
he  would  anything  else  that  was  ungentlemanly  and 
wrong.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Dustin  had  been  too 
wise  a  man  not  to  know  that  occasions  may  arise  in 
everybody's  life  when  it  becomes  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  fight.  He  believed,  for  instance,  that  it  is 
right  and  proper  to  do  so  in  defence  of  the  weak 
and  helpless  who  have  claims  upon  us  for  protec 
tion,  provided  that  is  the  only  way  of  defending 
them,  and  this  principle  he  had  thoroughly  instilled 
into  his  child's  mind. 

Mr.  Dustin  also  believed  that  every  boy  should  be 
taught  to  use  the  weapons    with  which  nature  has 

"5 


Il6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

provided  him — namely,  his  fists — for  the  protection 
of  himself  and  others,  just  as  he  should  be  taught  to 
read  and  write  or  do  a  thousand  other  things  neces 
sary  to  his  success  and  happiness  in  life. 

Thus  believing,  and  having  been  himself  one  of 
the  best  boxers  in  his  college  gymnasium,  he  had  be 
gun  to  instruct  his  little  son  in  the  art  of  self-defence 
on  the  very  day  that  the  boy's  mother  began  to 
teach  him  his  letters.  Now,  therefore,  although  Ar 
thur  had  never  fought  a  battle  with  any  other  boy, 
he  had  a  very  fair  knowledge  of  what  he  ought  to 
do  under  the  circumstances,  and  of  how  to  do  it. 

All  his  father's  talks  upon  the  subject  flashed 
into  his  mind,  and  he  seemed  to  remember  every 
word  of  them.  He  could  almost  hear  the  dear 
voice  say  :  "  Never  fight  if  you  can  help  it,  but  if  the 
time  comes  that  you  feel  it  to  be  your  duty,  then 
pitch  in  with  all  your  heart,  with  all  your  strength, 
and  with  all  your  skill.  Then  fight  just  as  long  as 
you  can  stand,  or  until  you  have  won  a  victory. " 

In  the  present  instance,  surrounded  as  he  wras  by. 
fierce-looking,  hard-hearted  men,  who  acknowledged 
no  law  but  that  of  brute  force,  and  with  poor  little 
Rusty  crouching  at  his  feet,  so  certain  was  the  boy 


ARTHUR'S  FIGHT  TO   SAVE   RUSTY.  1 1/ 

of  his  duty,  that  he  prepared  for  the  coining  strug 
gle  with  a  brave  heart,  though  with  a  very  white 
face. 

The  boy  called  "  Kid "  was  perfectly  willing  to 
fight ;  in  fact,  there  was  nothing  he  enjoyed  more, 
especially  when,  as  in  this  case,  he  saw  the  prospect 
of  an  easy  victory  before  him.  So,  as  he  stood  up 
in  front  of  Arthur,  the  firelight  disclosed  a  broad 
grin  on  his  dirty  face.  He  looked  so  much  stronger 
and  heavier  than  his  antagonist,  that  some  of  the 
men  were  touched  with  pity  for  the  little  fellow,  and 
murmured  that  it  was  n't  a  square  deal. 

"  That 's  all  right,"  said  the  big  tramp,  who  had 
taken  charge  of  the  affair.  "  The  young  chap  's  got 
sand  or  else  he  would  n't  be  here.  He's  been  talk 
ing  pretty  big  too,  and  now  he  's  got  the  chance  to 
show  whether  he  can  back  up  his  words  or  not.  " 

To  the  amazement  of  the  spectators  the  battle  was 
a  long  and  a  hard  one ;  for  the  new-comer's  pluck 
and  skill  were  evenly  matched  against  the  other's 
weight  and  a  dogged  pride  that  forbade  him  to 
yield  to  one  younger  and  smaller  than  himself.  Still, 
he  was  in  the  wrong,  and  he  knew  it ;  while  Arthur 
was  in  the  right,  and  knew  that  he  was.  The  boy 


Il8  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

who  was  fighting  in  defence  of  the  weak  and  the  help 
less  never  once  thought  of  giving  in,  and  so  the  other 
had  to.  They  finally  went  to  the  ground  together, 
with  Arthur  on  top,  and  this  ended  the  struggle. 
The  "  Kid  "  began  to  cry :  "  Lemrae  up  !  lemnie  up ! 
I  don't  want  to  fight  no  more  wid  a  perfessional. 
Lemnie  up  ! " 

Then  Arthur  left  him,  and  walked  to  where  poor 
little  Rusty  was  crouching,  with  his  rope  held  by 
one  of  the  tramps.  Taking  the  rope  in  his  hand, 
and  lifting  his  brave,  flushed  face,  blood-stained 
from  a  slight  cut  on  his  forehead,  to  that  of  the  big 
tramp  who  had  ordered  the  pup  to  be  beaten,  the 
boy  asked  :  "  Is  he  my  dog  now  ?  " 

"  Of  course  he  is,  sonny ;  of  course  he  is !  "  an 
swered  the  big  man,  promptly.  "  You  Ve  fought 
the  bulliest  kind  of  a  fight  for  him,  and  I  'd  like  to 
see  the  man  as  would  try  to  take  him  from  you." 

As  he  spoke,  the  big  tramp  glared  about  him,  as 
though  wishing  somebody  would  dare  dispute  his 
words,  but  nobody  did.  Every  one  of  those  who 
now  crowded  about  the  boy,  anxious  to  shake  hands 
with  him  and  congratulate  him  on  his  victory,  ex 
pressed  the  heartiest  approval  of  what  the  big  man 


ARTHUR'S  FIGHT  TO   SAVE  RUSTY.  119 

said.  They  all  seemed  to  regard  Arthur  as  a  hero, 
and  to  feel  highly  honored  by  his  presence  in  their 
camp.  Even  his  dog  received  a  full  share  of  praise 
and  petting,  and  was  utterly  bewildered  by  the 
sudden  turn  in  the  tide  of  popular  opinion  concerning 
him. 

Seeing  that  the  young  champion  was  rendered 
uncomfortable  by  the  over-officiousness  of  those  who 
crowded  about  him,  the  big  tramp,  who  seemed  to 
exercise  an  acknowledged  authority  over  them,  or 
dered  the  rest  to  clear  out,  and  leave  the  little  chap 
to  him.  Then  he  took  Arthur  to  the  brook,  and 
bathed  his  face  and  hands,  and  even  his  bare  feet,  in 
its  cool  waters,  with  a  degree  of  tenderness  surprising 
in  one  so  big  and  rough. 

A  few  minutes  later  supper  was  announced,  and 
the  big  tramp  made  Arthur  sit  beside  him  on  the 
ground,  in  front  of  a  kettle  that  contained  a  most 
delicious-smelling  stew  of  chicken  and  potatoes  and 
onions  and  green  corn,  and  several  other  things. 
To  be  sure,  Arthur  was  obliged  to  eat  his  portion 
out  of  a  hastily  improvised  bowl  of  birch  bark, 
made  for  him  by  his  big  friend,  with  a  rude  wooden 
spoon  provided  by  the  same  ingenious  individual; 


120  BORING  FOR   OIL. 


but  how  good  it  was  !  How  often  that  bark  bowl 
was  refilled,  and  how  proud  the  cooks  were  to  have 
the  hero  of  the  feast  thus  compliment  them  so 
highly. 

As  for  little  Rusty,  who  seemed  to  recognize 
Arthur  as  his  friend  and  protector,  and  kept  close 
beside  him,  there  never  was  a  dog  treated  with 
greater  consideration.  Eveiybody  wanted  to  feed 
him,  and  kept  tossing  choice  morsels  of  food  to  him. 
He  ate  everything  thus  offered,  with  perfect  impar 
tiality,  until  at  length  he  had  no  room  for  another 
morsel,  and  even  the  daintiest  bits  of  chicken  failed 
to  tempt  him. 

After  supper  all  the  tramps  were  anxious  to  learn 
something  of  Arthur's  history,  and  who  had  taught 
him  to  fight  so  skilfully,  and  how  he  happened  to 
visit  their  camp.  So  he  told  them  about  his  own 
dear  father,  who  had  given  him  boxing  lessons,  and 
about  living  with  Uncle  John  and  Aunt  Nancy,  and 
how  he  and  Uncle  Phiu  had  decided  to  go  to  his 
grandfather's  in  Virginia,  and  were  travelling  in  a 
boat,  and  how  it  had  run  aground  so  that  they 
could  n't  get  it  off,  and  Uncle  Phin  had  gone  in 
search  of  help,  and  how  he  happened  to  get  lost  in 


ARTHUR'S  FIGHT  TO   SAVE  RUSTY.  121 

the  woods,  and  finally  how  he  discovered  their 
camp ;  all  of  which  was  listened  to  with  absorbing 
interest. 

When  he  finished,  the  big  tramp  spoke  up  and 
said :  "  Well,  fellers,  from  this  little  chap's  account 
of  hisself,  I  don't  see  but  what  him  and  his  old 
Uncle  Phin  is  travelling  through  the  country  pretty 
much  the  same  as  we  does,  like  gentlemen  of  leisure 
and  independent  means,  as  it  were.  In  fact  I  should 
call  'em  a  couple  of  honest  tramps,  as  is  making 
their  way  through  the  world  without  asking  no  odds 
of  nobody." 

"  That 's  so,"  assented  several  voices. 

"  Such  being  the  case,"  continued  the  big  man, 
"  It  is  clearly  our  dooty  to  help  'em  out  of  the  fix 
they  Ve  got  into,  and  I  move  that  we  all  go  down 
to  the  river,  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and  set  their 
old  scow  afloat." 

As  this  motion  seemed  to  meet  with  general 
approval,  Arthur  was  cordially  invited  to  spend  the 
night  in  the  tramps'  camp,  and  was  assured  that  they 
would  guide  him  to  the  Ark,  and  that  it  should  be 
started  on  its  voyage  the  very  first  thing  in  the 
morning.  As  there  really  seemed  nothing  else  for 


122  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

him  to  do,  the  little  fellow  accepted  the  invitation, 
though  he  wished  he  could  get  back  to  the  boat 
that  night,  and  thus  relieve  the  anxiety  that  he 
knew  Uncle  Phin  must  be  suffering  on  account  of  his 
unexplained  disappearance. 

In  the  meantime  he  had  recovered  his  book  from 
the  big  tramp,  who  had  held  it  during  the  fight,  and 
it  now  lay  on  the  grass  beside  him.  He  had  men 
tioned  that  he  sometimes  read  stories  from  this 
book  to  Uncle  Phin,  and  now  the  big  tramp  said  to 
him :  "  Look  here,  sonny,  why  won't  you  read  a 
story  to  us  out  of  your  book,  just  to  pass  away  the 
time  ?  If  you  will,  I  will  give  you  some  information 
that  may  prove  useful  to  you  in  your  travels,  but 
which  you  can't  find  in  any  book  in  the  world." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE     MEANING     OF     SOME    QUEER    SIGNS. 

A  RTHUR  said  lie  would  gladly  read  to  the 
/~V  tramps  if  they  cared  to  hear  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  he  wondered  what  valuable  information 
the  man  could  possibly  give  him. 

Then  all  the  tramps  gathered  as  near  to  him  as 
they  could,  and  Arthur,  sitting  where  the  firelight 
shone  brightest,  with  one  hand  laid  protectingly  on 
little  Rusty,  opened  his  precious  book,  and  read  the 
first  story  he  came  to,  which  happened  to  be  that  of 
"  The  Ugly  Duckling." 

It  was  a  striking  picture,  that  of  the  fair-haired 
child,  sitting  in  the  red  glow  of  the  firelight,  and 
reading  a  fairy  tale  to  the  rough  men  crowded  about 
him,  their  uncouth  figures  half  disclosed  and  half 
hidden  in  the  dusky  shadows.  Close  behind  the 

big  tramp,  who  was  his  father,  sat  the  boy  with 

123 


124  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

whom  Arthur  had  fought,  still  looking  sullen  and 
crestfallen  over  his  recent  defeat,  and  occasionally 
casting  glances  of  mingled  envy  and  hate  at  his 
rival. 

As  the  tale  proceeded,  his  hard,  young  face  took 
on  a  softer  expression,  and  when  it  was  finished  he 
heaved  a  great  sigh. 

"  Well,  Kid,"  said  the  big  tramp,  turning  to  him 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  story,  "  what  do  you  think 
of  that  for  a  yarn  ?  You  are  a  pretty  ugly  sort  of  a 
duck  yourself,  and  who  knows  but  what  you  may 
turn  out  to  be  a  swan  after  all,  some  of  these  fine 
days." 

"  It  '11  be  a  goose  more  like,"  muttered  one  of  the 
men  ;  and  Arthur,  looking  pityingly  at  the  lad,  won 
dered  which  it  would  be. 

Now  it  was  the  big  tramp's  turn  to  fulfil  his  part 
of  the  bargain.  This  he  began  to  do  by  taking  a 
bit  of  chalk  from  his  pocket  and  drawing  with  it 
several  rude  figures  like  these,  X  X  #  —  t/  on  a 
piece  of  birch  bark.  Showing  them  to  Arthur,  he 
told  him  that  these  were  signs  understood  by  all  the 
tramps  of  the  country,  and  that  whenever  they  saw 
them  chalked  on  gate-posts  or  fences  or  other  con- 


THE  MEANING  OF  SOME   QUEER   SIGNS.  12$ 

spicuous  places  near  houses,  they  knew  at  once  what 
they  meant.  "  This,  for  instance,"  he  said,  pointing 
to  one  of  the  signs,  "  means  '  Stingy  people  in  this 
house ;  won't  give  a  poor  tramp  anything.'  This 
one  means,  '  Savage  dog  in  here ' ;  and  this,  '  Good 
people,  and  plenty  to  eat.' '  Another  meant,  "  Man 
here  keeps  a  gun  for  tramps " ;  and  still  another, 
"  Only  women  folks  here ;  no  danger."  He  also 
said  that  the  older  and  best-known  tramps  had  their 
private  marks  or  autographs,  which  were  very  gen 
erally  known  and  recognized  by  all  the  others  along 
their  particular  lines  of  travel. 

Arthur  was  greatly  interested  in  this,  and  made 
copies  of  several  of  the  marks  thus  shown  him,  so  as 
to  impress  them  upon  his  memory,  though  at  that  time 
he  could  not  foresee  that  they  would  ever  be  of  any 
use.  At  the  close  of  this  novel  lesson,  the  big  tramp 
told  him  that  his  name  was  Sandy  Grimes,  and 
showed  him  his  own  private  mark  or  autograph, 
which  was  M,  and  said  that  Arthur  was  at  liberty 
to  use  it,  in  proof  of  their  friendship,  whenever  he 
found  himself  in  company  with  any  other  tramps. 

The  boy  thanked  him  politely  for  this  favor, 
though  thinking  to  himself  that  he  hoped  the  time 


126  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

would  never  come  when  he  should  care  to  claim 
such  a  friendship.  Then  Arthur  said  he  was  tired, 
and  would  like  to  go  to  sleep,  whereupon  Sandy 
Grimes  showed  him  a  bed  of  dry  leaves  beside  a  big 
log  near  enough  to  the  fire  to  feel  its  warmth,  and 
told  him  he  could  lie  down  there.  So  there  the 
tired  little  fellow  lay,  with  Rusty  nestled  close  be 
side  him,  and  watched  the  stars  twinkling  overhead 
until  he  fell  asleep. 

Although  on  this  occasion  Arthur  breathed  great 
quantities  of  the  night  air  that  his  Aunt  Nancy  had 
declared  to  be  poison,  its  injurious  effects  were  not 
apparent  when  he  awoke  the  next  morning,  looking 
as  bright  and  fresh  as  though  he  had  slept  in  the 
downiest  of  beds.  To  be  sure  he  felt  somewhat  stiff 
and  sore ;  but  after  his  encounter  with  the  young 
tramp,  it  would  have  been  most  surprising  if  he 
had  not. 

The  sun  was  just  lising  as  he  made  his  way  to 
the  brook  to  dip  his  face  in  its  cool  waters ;  but  the 
[camp  was  already  astir.  Tramps  are  proverbially 
lazy,  but  they  are  always  among  the  earliest  of  risers. 
From  the  cheap  lodging-houses  and  police-stations 
of  the  city  they  are  turned  out  at  daylight.  The 


THE   MEANING   OF  SOME    QUEER   SIGNS.  I2/ 

same  thing  happens  in  the  country,  where  the  thrifty 
farmer  routs  them  out  from  his  barn  or  haystacks, 
and  hunger  drives  them  from  their  camps  at  the  same 
early  hour.  A  want  of  food  was  what  set  this  par 
ticular  camp  astir  by  sunrise  on  this  occasion;  for 
its  occupants  had  exhausted  their  entire  supply  on  the 
feast  of  the  previous  evening.  Now  they  were  set 
ting  forth  to  beg,  or  steal,  something  to  eat  at  the 
nearest  farm-houses  and  villages. 

Some  of  them,  careless  of  their  promise  made  the 
night  before  to  go  with  Arthur  and  help  him  and 
Uncle  Phin  get  their  boat  afloat,  had  already  left, 
while  others  sullenly  refused  to  keep  their  word, 
now  that  they  were  reminded  of  it.  However,  five 
of  them,  including  the  big  tramp  and  his  boy,  said 
they  were  going  that  way  anyhow,  and  did  n't  mind 
giving  the  youngster  a  lift  with  his  scow  if  it  did  n't 
take  too  long  and  prove  too  hard  work.  So.  in  a 
few  minutes  after  leaving  his  bed  by  the  old  log, 
Arthur  found  himself  walking  down  the  ravine 
toward  the  river  in  company  with  five  as  dis 
reputable  and  rascally-looking  tramps  as  could  be 
found  in  the  country. 

He  had  not  forgotten  poor  little  Rusty.      Oh,  no 


128  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

indeed  !  Nor  had  the  dog  forgotten  him,  but  now 
followed  close  at  his  heels  without  paying  the 
slightest  attention  to  any  other  person  in  the  party. 
He  had  been  stolen  by  the  "  Kid  "  from  the  Chap- 
mans'  house  during  the  excitement  caused  by  the 
burning  oil  tank,  and  had  evidently  suffered  much 
at  the  hands  of  his  captor,  for  never  after  that  day 
did  he  see  a  tramp  without  growling  and  showing 
his  teeth  at  him. 

The  tramps'  camp  was  located  but  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  road  that  ran  along  the  river  bank, 
and  the  relief  party  had  hardly  turned  into  it  before 
Arthur,  with  a  cry  of  joy,  sprang  forward  and  flung 
himself  into  the  arms  of  Uncle  Phin,  who,  looking 
the  picture  of  misery  and  utter  dejection,  was  hob 
bling  toward  them. 

The  old  man  was  so  overcome  by  joy  and  bewil- 
dennent  that  for  a  few  moments  he  was  utterly 
speechless.  Then  he  broke  out  with  "  Tank  de  good 
Lawd,  Honey,  I  is  foun  you !  Ole  Phin  die  ob  de 
heart  broke  shuah  if  he  did  n't  fin  you  pretty 
quick,  an  he's  bin  sarchin  fo  you  all  de  night 
long.  "  This  was  said  with  such  a  heartfelt  earnest 
ness,  that  the  boy  realized  in  a  moment  how  greatly 
his  old  friend  had  suffered. 


THE  MEANING  OF  SOME   QUEER   SIGNS.  I2g 

Although  Uncle  Phin  had  found  several  houses 
during  his  absence  of  the  afternoon  before,  none  of 
their  inmates  had  been  willing  to  return  and  help 
him  get  the  Ark  afloat.  He  had  not  got  back  to  it 
until  after  sunset,  and  then,  to  his  dismay,  had  found 
it  dark  and  deserted. 

Too  greatly  distressed  to  eat  or  sleep,  he  had  spent 
the  night  in  wandering  up  and  down  the  road  hunt 
ing,  and  calling  for,  his  "  lil  Marse, "  and  now  that 
he  had  found  him,  his  joy  was  almost  too  great  for 
expression. 

It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  where  the  Ark  lay 
aground,  and  it  was  but  a  five  minutes'  job  for  those 
sturdy  tramps  to  work  her  off  the  sand-bar  and  set 
her  once  more  afloat. 

The  last  thing  Arthur  did  before  scrambling 
aboard  was  to  shake  hands  with  the  boy  whom  he 
had  fought  the  evening  before,  and,  as  he  bade 
him  good-bye,  he  said  :  "  I  hope  you  won't  be  an  '  ugly 
duckling '  much  longer." 

Then,  with  its  three  passengers  safely  aboard,  the 
Ark  slowly  drifted  away  with  the  current,  while  the 
tramps  watched  it  and  waved  their  tattered  hats  in 
farewell  to  the  bravest  twelve-year-old  boy  they  had 
ever  known. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PLEASANT      DRIFTIiSrGS. 

HOW  really  like  a  home  their  rude  little  old 
house-boat  appeared  to  the  boy,  who  had 
been  lost  in  the  woods  and  spent  the  night  in  a 
tramps'  camp,  and  to  the  old  man,  who  had  passed 
the  long  hours  in  wandering  up  and  down  the 
lonely  road,  searching  for  his  lost  one.  What  com 
forts  it  contained,  and  with  what  a  delightfully  easy 
motion  it  glided  down  the  sunlit  river.  Even 
Rusty  seemed  to  feel  that  he  was  at  home,  and 
to  recognize  the  place ;  for  the  moment  he  was 
taken  into  the  cabin,  he  sprang  up  on  Arthur's  bunk, 
and  nestled  down  at  its  foot,  where  the  boy  had 
prepared  a  bed  for  him  two  days  before. 

While  Uncle  Phin  was  getting  ready  the  break 
fast  for  which  they  were  all  so  hungry,  Arthur  and 
Rusty,  who  had  fully  recovered  his  spirits,  had  a  fine 

130 


PLEASANT  DR IF  TINGS.  131 

game  of  romp,  during  which  the  dog  displayed  so 
much  intelligence,  and  performed  so  many  funny 
tricks,  as  to  completely  win  his  young  master's  heart. 

When  breakfast  was  finished,  Uncle  Phin  and 
Arthur  sat  on  the  cabin  roof,  under  a  bit  of  an 
awning  that  the  former  had  contrived,  and  talked  of 
their  recent  experience,  while  watching,  with  the 
delight  of  simple  natures,  the  exquisitely  beautiful 
scenery  through  which  they  were  drifting.  Between 
them,  apparently  appreciating  it  all  as  much  as  they, 
sat  Rusty,  contentedly  wagging  his  tail,  the  little 
white  tip  of  which  seemed  the  emblem  of  perpetual 
motion.  He  had  evidently  transferred  all  his  affec 
tion  to  Arthur,  and  the  expression  of  his  honest  eyes, 
as  he  turned  them  upon  his  young  master,  was  that  of 
love  and  perfect  confidence. 

This  day  was  but  the  first  of  many  such,  during 
which  the  Ark,  with  frequent  stops,  drifted  down 
the  quiet  river,  ever  southward,  and,  as  its  occupants 
fondly  hoped,  ever  getting  nearer  to  the  far-away 
home  that  they  sought.  They  always  tied  up  to 
the  bank  at  night,  and  every  now  and  then  they 
spent  several  days  in  a  place,  while  Uncle  Phin 
sought  odd  jobs  of  work,  by  which  he  might  earn  a 


132  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

little  money  for  the  replenishing  of  their  stock  of 
provisions. 

During  one  of  these  stops,  at  a  place  where  there 
was  a  large  hotel,  in  which  a  number  of  the  summer 
guests  lingered  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  autumn 
scenery,  something  very  pleasant  happened  to  them. 
A  hoy  of  just  about  Arthur's  age  and  size,  who  was 
staying  at  the  hotel,  walked  down 'to  the  river  bank 
with  his  father.  They  were  attracted  by  the  quaint 
appearance  of  the  Ark ;  and,  on  going  close  enough 
to  look  in  at  one  of  its  open  doors,  were  surprised  to 
see  that  its  occupants  were  an  old  negro  and  a  bare 
footed  boy,  the  first  of  whom  was  patching  a  small 
garment,  while  the  other  read  aloud  to  him.  The 
new-comers  had  little  difficulty  in  forming  the  ac 
quaintance  of  Arthur,  Uncle  Phin,  and  Rusty,  or  in 
learning  their  story. 

In  answer  to  Uncle  Phin's  anxious  inquiry  as  to 
whether  he  knew  of  any  work  to  be  had  in  that 
neighborhood,  the  gentleman  said  he  did  not.  Then, 
with  a  little  hesitation,  he  added  that  if  Arthur 
cared  to  come  up  to  the  hotel  that  evening,  and  read 
a  story  out  of  his  book  at  a  children's  entertainment 
they  were  going  to  have,  he  would  give  him  a  dollar. 


PLEASANT  DRIF TINGS.  133 

Glancing  sadly  down  at  his  ragged  clothes,  the 
boy  said  he  should  like  ever  so  much  to  do  so,  but 
did  not  see  how  he  could. 

Thereupon  the  gentleman,  understanding  the 
glance,  said  that  his  present  costume  was  so  pictu 
resque  that  he  wanted  him  to  come  just  as  he  was, 
ragged,  barefooted,  and  all.  So  Arthur  went,  being 
more  proud  of  his-  ability  to  earn  a  whole  dollar  than 
he  was  ashamed  of  his  appearance,  and  his  reading 
was  such  a  success  that  all  the  people  were  anxious 
to  know  who  he  was. 

When  it  was  over,  the  kind  gentleman  invited 
him  to  his  room,  where  Arthur  found  a  complete 
suit  of  the  other  boy's  clothes,  including  shoes, 
stockings,  and  a  round  cap,  which  the  gentleman 
said  were  for  him,  and  insisted  upon  his  putting  on 
at  once. 

So  the  boy  was  again  dressed,  and  made  to  feel 
like  a  young  gentleman ;  and,  when  he  reappeared 
down-stairs,  nobody  knew  him,  at  first,  for  the  one 
who  had  read  to  them. 

The  next  day  a  gay  party  of  these  hotel  guests 
chartered  the  Ark  for  an  excursion,  and  drifted 
down  the  river  on  her,  in  company  with  Arthur  and 


134  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Uncle  Phin  and  Rusty,  to  a  point  about  five  miles 
below  the  village,  where  carriages  were  waiting  to 
take  them  back.  For  this  use  of  the  boat  they 
paid  two  dollars,  besides  leaving  enough  provisions 
behind  them  to  last  our  friends  for  several  days. 

By  the  kind  gentleman,  who  appeared  greatly  in 
terested  in  their  journey,  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin 
were  advised  to  sell  their  boat  in  Pittsburgh,  as  that 
would  offer  a  better  market  than  points  farther  on, 
and  to  take  the  cars  from  there. 

So  the  whole  month  of  October  passed  before  the 
happy  voyage  was  ended,  and,  late  one  afternoon  in 
November,  the  Ark  was  moored  at  the  mouth  of  a 
small  creek  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 
It  was  a  region  of  iron-works,  of  foundries,  furnaces, 
and  rolling  mills,  a  place  of  noise  and  heat,  and 
never-ending  weariness.  A  dense  cloud  of  black 
smoke  hung  low  above  it  that  still  November  even 
ing,  and,  though  the  air  was  comparatively  pure 
where  the  boat  was  moored,  its  pall-like  presence 
seemed  to  cast  a  foreboding  of  evil  days  over  the 
hearts  of  our  travellers.  As  the  darkness  drew  on, 
the  smoke  clouds  were  illumined  by  a  strange,  lurid, 


PLEASANT  DRIFTINGS.  135 

glare  like  that  of  a  great  volcano.  It  was  a  weirdly 
beautiful  sight ;  but  it  filled  them  with  uneasiness  ; 
and,  after  watching  it  for  a  while,  they  were  glad  to 
enter  their  cosey  little  cabin,  and  close  it  to  all  out 
side  influences. 

With  heavy  hearts  they  prepared  and  ate  their 
evening  meal ;  for  there  was  only  food  enough  left 
for  a  slender  breakfast,  and  they  had  no  money  with 
which  to  purchase  more.  After  supper  they  began 
seriously  to  consider  their  plans  for  the  future,  of 
which  they  had  talked  but  vaguely  thus  far. 

"  Is  n't  it  too  bad  that  we  can't  go  all  the  way  in 
this  boat  ? "  said  Arthur. 

"It  is  so,  Honey,"  replied  Uncle  Phin,  "but  dars 
no  use  er  frettin.  We  '11  go  by  de  kyars  and  be 
dar  in  mos  no  time  now." 

"  Do  you  think  we  '11  get  money  enough  to  pay 
for  riding  on  the  cars,  Uncle  Phin  ? " 

"  Sho,  Honey  !  You  does  n't  know  much  about 
trabblin,  dats  a  fac ;  why  it  don't  take  no  money 
fer  to  ride  on  de  kyars.  De  man  wif  de  brass  but- 
tens,  what  owns  'em,  jes  gib  you  a  lil  ticket,  and  den 
you  ride  as  long  as  you  like." 


136  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Arthur  was  inclined  to  doubt  this  statement ;  but 
Uncle  Phin  was  so  positive,  that  he  tried  to  believe 
it.  The  truth  was  that,  on  the  only  two  railroad 
journeys  he  had  ever  taken  in  his  life,  Uncle  Phin's 
tickets  had  been  bought  and  paid  for  without  his 
knowledge,  and  handed  to  the  conductor  by  Mr. 
Dustin,  together  with  the  others  for  his  little  party. 
Then  a  conductor's  check  had  been  stuck  in  the  old 
man's  hat-band,  and  he  had  ridden  unquestioned  to 
his  journey's  end.  Thus  he  was  led  to  believe  that 
railroads  were  built,  and  cars  run  upon  them,  for  the 
free  accommodation  of  all  who  were  compelled  by  a 
hard  fate  to  move  restlessly  from  place  to  place, 
and  he  felt  very  grateful  for  the  kindness  thus 
extended. 

"  But  Brace  Barlow  said  we  could  sell  the  Ark 
for  enough  money  to  carry  us  the  rest  of  the  way 
when  we  got  here,  you  told  me  so,  yourself,"  said 
Arthur,  "  and  what  did  he  mean  if  it  is  n't  going 
to  cost  anything  ?  " 

"  Why,  Honey,  he  mean  to  pay  fer  de  grub  we 
mus  hab  while  we  is  a  trabblin,  an  fer  de  candies 
and  picshur  books,  what  de  boy  in  de  kyars  hans 
roun.  You  is  jes  nacherly  'bleeged  to  pay  fer  dem, 


PLEASANT  DRIFTINGS.  l$J 

ob  cose.  Yo  fader  allus  done  dat,"  answered  the 
old  man. 

"  Then  we  will  have  to  sell  the  Ark  to-morrow,  I 
suppose,"  said  Arthur,  looking  regretfully  about  the 
rude  little  cabin  that  had  been  so  pleasant  a  home 
to  him. 

"  To  be  shuah,  Honey.  We  jes  drap  a  bit  furder 
down  de  ribber,  inter  de  bizness  place  ob  de  city, 
fust  ting  in  de  mornin.  Den  we  sell  de  boat,  an 
take  to  de  kyars  what  's  boun  fer  ole  Ferginny,  an 
maybe  by  to-morrer  night  we  is  all  safe  an  soun  at 
Dalecourt." 

"  How  much  do  you  think  we  will  get  for  the 
boat?" 

"  I  don  know  per  zackly,  Honey.  It  '11  be  cordin 
ter  de  deman  fer  boats.  Maybe  five  dollar,  maybe 
ten.  Depens  on  what  dey  is  er  fetchin,"  replied 
Uncle  Phin,  whose  ideas  as  to  the  value  of  this  sort 
of  property  were  of  the  vaguest  description. 

As  their  backs  were  turned  to  the  cabin  window 
that  was  nearest  the  shore,  neither  Arthur  nor  Uncle 
Phin  knew  that,  during  this  conversation,  an  evil- 
looking  face  was  peering  in  at  them,  and  that  its 
owner  was  an  attentive  listener  to  all  that  they  said. 


138  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

Now,  as  they  looked  up,  startled  by  an  uneasy 
growl  from  Rusty,  who  had  just  detected  the 
stranger's  presence,  and  sprang  barking  toward  the 
window,  the  face  was  hastily  withdrawn,  and 
appeared  no  more. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    ARK    IS    STOLEN. 

THE  next  morning,  after  eating  the  very  last  of 
their  provisions,  which  they  shared  impartially 
with  Rusty,  they  cast  the  Ark  loose  from  its  moor 
ings,  and  allowed  it  to  drift  a  mile  or  two  down  past 
the  city  water  front.  At  length  they  reached  a  place 
of  comparative  quiet,  amid  the  bewildering  number 
of  steamboats,  tugs,  and  barges,  by  which  they  were 
now  surrounded.  It  was  just  below  a  great  bridge 
that  spanned  the  river  at  this  point,  and  here,  after 
half  an  hour  of  anxiety  and  hard  work,  they  finally 
succeeded  in  making  their  boat  fast  to  the  levee. 

Then,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  they  waited 
patiently  for  some  hours,  in  the  hope  that  a  customer 
would  appear,  and  make  them  an  offer  for  the  Ark. 
But  of  all  the  hurrying  throngs  who  passed  the 
place,  no  one  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  them. 

139 


140  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

Uncle  Phin  had  just  decided  that  it  would  be  neces 
sary  for  him  to  go  ashore,  and  in  some  way  make  it 
known  that  he  had  a  boat  for  sale,  when  a  stranger 
came  walking  briskly  toward  them,  and  sprang 
aboard. 

Growling  savagely,  Rusty  would  have  flown  at 
the  man,  whom  he  recognized  as  the  one  who  had 
looked  into  the  cabin  window  the  evening  before, 
had  not  Arthur  seized  and  held  him. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  the  stranger,  politely.  "  Fine 
watch  dog  you  Ve  got  there." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  "  he  is  ;  but  I  never  knew 
him  to  want  to  bite  anybody  before." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  the  man,  "  he  probably  is  n't  used 
to  city  folks  ;  but  he  will  get  over  that.  I  came  to 
ask  if  this  boat  is  for  sale." 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  replied  the  boy,  delightedly. 
"  We  have  been  hoping  somebody  would  come  along 
who  wanted  to  buy  it." 

Then  they  showed  the  stranger  all  over  the  boat, 
explaining  to  him  what  an  unusually  fine  craft  it 
was,  and,  before  long,  had  told  him  all  he  wanted  to 
know  of  their  history  and  plans. 

He  was  a  shabbily-dressed  man  ;  but  they  were 


THE  ARK  IS  STOLEN.  141 

accustomed  to  seeing  such  people,  and  never  for  a 
moment  mistrusted  him  when  he  said  that  he  was 
looking  for  just  that  kind  of  a  boat,  in  which 
to  take  his  family  to  New  Orleans  for  the  winter. 
They  only  congratulated  each  other,  on  securing  a 
customer  so  readily,  by  exchanging  sundry  significant 
looks  and  smiles  behind  his  back. 

At  length  he  asked  their  price  for  the  boat,  and 
Uncle  Phin,  emboldened  by  his  praise  of  the  craft 
and  evident  'desire  to  possess  her,  answered  that,  as 
boats  seemed  to  be  in  pretty  good  demand,  he  thought 
this  one  ought  to  be  worth  twenty  dollars. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  stranger.  "  Twenty 
dollars  !  why,  she  is  worth  fifty,  if  she  is  worth  a 
cent,  and  I  could  n't  think  of  offering  any  less  for 
her.  Say  fifty  and  we  '11  call  it  a  bargain." 

Was  there  ever  such  a  generous  and  honest  man  ? 
Both  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  thought  there  never 
was,  as  they  gladly  accepted  this  magnificent  offer, 
and  thanked  him  for  it  besides. 

"  Now,"  said  the  stranger,  "  business  is  business, 
and  I  should  like  to  take  possession  of  the  boat  at 
once ;  while  I  presume  you  are  anxious  to  pursue 
your  journey.  If  you  will  just  step  up-town  with 


142  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

me  to  my  bank,  I  will  pay  you  the  fifty  dollars,  and 
,on  the  way  I  will  show  you  the  station  of  the  rail 
road  that  goes  to  Virginia.  Then  we  '11  get  a  team 
to  come  down  here  for  your  baggage,  and  you  '11  be 
all  right." 

Neither  Arthur  nor  the  old  negro  could  think  of 
any  particular  baggage  that  they  wished  to  carry 
with  them,  unless  it  was  their  bedding,  and  Uncle 
Phin's  axe,  and  they  told  the  stranger  so.  He  said 
they  might  think  of  something  else  after  they  had 
got  their  money,  and  that  at  any  rate  they  had  better 
go  up-town  with  him  and  secure  it  at  once. 

Arthur  suggested  that  it  might  not  be  safe  to 
leave  the  boat  all  alone,  and  proposed  that  Uncle 
Phin  go  for  the  money,  while  he  and  Rusty  stayed 
behind  to  guard  it. 

"  Oh,  that 's  all  right,"  said  the  stranger.  "  You 
never  knew  such  honest  folks  as  live  round  here. 
They  would  n't  touch  anything  that  did  n't  belong 
to  them  for  the  world.  Besides  I  want  you  both  to 
sign  the  bill  of  sale,  and  the  receipt  for  the  money." 

So,  after  carefully  closing  the  cabin  doors  and 
windows,  the  trusting  old  man,  and  the  boy,  igno 
rant  as  yet  of  the  world's  wickedness,  accompanied 


THE  ARK  IS  STOLEN,  143 

the  plausible  stranger  up-town.  Arthur  led  Rusty 
by  a  bit  of  rope  fastened  to  the  leathern  collar 
Uncle  Phin  had  made  for  him,  and  had  some  diffi 
culty  in  keeping  him  at  a  safe  distance  from  the 
stranger,  toward  whom  the  dog  seemed  to  have 
taken  the  greatest  dislike.  Moved  by  some  impulse 
that  he  could  not  have  explained,  the  boy  had  also 
taken  his  precious  book  from  its  shelf,  at  the  last 
moment,  and  now  carried  it  under  his  arm. 

The  stranger  continued  to  be  very  polite  and  en 
tertaining,  as  they  walked  through  the  crowded 
streets,  and  pointed  out  several  places  of  interest, 
among  others  the  railway  station  from  which  they 
were  to  take  the  train  for  Virginia. 

They  walked  so  far  that  Arthur  began  to  grow 
tired,  and  was  very  glad  when  they  at  length  entered 
a  fine  building,  above  the  doorway  of  which  he  read 
the  word  "  Bank  "  in  large  letters.  Here  both  the 
old  man  and  the  boy  were  awed  and  bewildered  by 
the  imposing  appearance  of  the  interior  into  which 
they  were  ushered.  They  wondered  at  the  number 
of  desks,  at  which  busy  clerks  sat  writing  behind  a 
high  and  strong  iron  grating,  and  at  the  crowds  of 
people  who  stood  in  long  lines  before  the  little  win- 


144  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

dows  in  it,  or  passed  hurriedly  to  and  fro.  Leading 
them  to  a  retired  corner,  out  of  the  throng,  their 
guide  bade  them  wait  there  for  a  few  minutes,  while 
he  prepared  the  papers  that  it  would  be  necessary 
for  them  to  sign,  and  procured  the  fifty  dollars.  Then 
he  mingled  with  the  crowd  of  men  about  them,  and 
disappeared. 

For  fifteen  minutes  or  so,  the  attention  of  the  old 
man  and  the  boy  was  fully  occupied  by  the  novel 
scenes  about  them,  and  in  keeping  Rusty  quiet. 
Then  they  began  to  watch  anxiously  for  the  stranger's 
return,  and  to  grow  somewhat  uneasy  over  his  non- 
appearance.  When  half  an  hour  had  passed,  they 
were  thoroughly  alarmed,  and  began  to  walk  up 
and  down  the  crowded  space,  in  front  of  the  iron 
grating,  peering  wistfully  into  the  faces  of  those  who 
filled  it,  but  without  seeing  him  whom  they  sought. 

At  last  a  man,  who  had  been  closely  watching  their 
movements  for  some  time,  stepped  briskly  up  to  them, 
and  laying  a  hand  on  Uncle  Phin's  shoulder  said : 

u  Come,  get  out  of  here,  old  man.  I  Ve  had  my  eye 
on  you  ever  since  you  came  in,  and  it 's  evident  that 
you  have  no  business  here." 

"  But,  boss,  we  'se  a  lookin  f  er " 


THE  ARK  IS  STOLEN.  145 

"  Yes,  I  know  you  are  looking  for  something  you 
wont  find  here,  so  clear  out,  or  else  I  '11  have  to  put 
you  out." 

There  was  no  use  offering  a  further  resistance  to 
the  detective,  and  so  the  next  minute  our  two  friends 
found  themselves  in  the  street,  utterly  bewildered, 
and  not  knowing  which  way  to  turn. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  it  all  means,  Uncle  Phin  ? " 
asked  Arthur. 

"Don  know,  Honey.  Hit  beat  de  ole  man's  'spe- 
rience,  and  he  don  pear  to  know  nuffin  about  hit." 

"  There  is  something  wrong  any  way,"  said  the  boy, 
decidedly,  "  and  I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is 
to  get  back  to  the  boat  as  quick  as  possible." 

By  inquiring  they  found  out  in  which  direction 
the  river  lay,  and  started  to  make  their  way  to  it  as 
fast  as  they  could.  It  was  a  long,  weary  walk,  and 
when  they  finally  reached  the  river,  they  spent  nearly 
an  hour  searching  and  inquiring  before  they  discov 
ered  the  bridge  near  which  the  Ark  had  been  left. 

Now  the  boat  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  In  vain 
did  they  gaze  up  and  down  the  river.  They  saw 
other  house-boats,  and  many  strange  craft  of  all  de 
scriptions,  but  nothing  that  looked  in  the  least  like 


146  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  one  that  had  sheltered  them  for  so  long  that  it 
seemed  like  a  very  home.  Then  the  truth  began  to 
dawn  upon  them.  Their  boat  had  been  stolen, 
probably  by  the  very  man  who  had  persuaded  them 
to  accompany  him  up-towu,  and  then  deserted  them. 

This  belief  was  finally  confirmed  by  a  good-natured 
boatman  of  whom  they  made  some  inquiries,  and 
who  told  them  that  the  craft  for  which  they  were 
looking  had  been  bparded  and  taken  away  by  a 
couple  of  men  more  than  two  hours  before.  They 
had  of  course  floated  off  down  the  river,  and  the 
boatman  said  the  only  thing  for  them  to  do  was  to 
hire  a  tug  and  go  after  her. 

As  this  would  have  cost  at  least  twenty  dollars, 
and  as  they  did  not  have  a  cent,  it  was  of  course  out 
of  the  question.  What  were  they  to  do  ?  And 
what  was  to  become  of  them  ? 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  addition 
to  being  very  tired  they  were  very  hungry.  This 
latter  unpleasant  sensation  was  evidently  shared  by 
poor  Rusty,  who  began  to  whine  and  look  pleadingly 
up  into  his  young  master's  face.  To  add  to  their 
misery,  the  dense  smoke  clouds  that  had  been  hang 
ing  lower  and  lower  over  the  city  now  enveloped  it 


THE  ARK  IS  STOLEN.  147 

entirely  in  damp,  sooty  folds,  and  a  cold,  drizzling 
rain  began  to  fall. 

Poor  Arthur  felt  so  utterly  wretched  that  he 
would  have  ciied,  but  for  the  remembrance  that 
he  was  a  Dale. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

PENNILESS    WANDERERS    IN    A    STRANGE    CITY. 

FRIENDLESS  and  penniless  in  a  strange  city ; 
cold,  wet,  and  hungry,  with  night  near  at 
hand.  This  was  the  present  condition .  of  little 
Prince  Dusty  and  his  Uncle  Phin,  as,  realizing  that 
they  had  been  cruelly  deceived  and  robbed  by  the 
stranger  who  had  proposed  to  purchase  their  boat, 
they  turned  slowly  away  from  the  river.  They  knew 
not  where  to  go ;  but,  moved  by  the  impulse  that 
prompted  them  to  seek  shelter  from  the  storm,  they 
walked  toward  the  buildings  on  a  street  that  fronted 
the  broad,  sloping  levee. 

If  they  only  had  something  to  eat,  their  future 
might  not  seem  so  dark.  Then  they  could  talk 
over  their  situation  and  decide  upon  some  plan. 
Now  they  could  neither  talk  nor  think  of  anything 

but  the  terrible  hunger  that  turned  their  strength 

148 


PENNILESS  WANDERERS.  149 

into  weakness  and  drove  every  other  thought  from 
their  minds. 

It  was  now  twenty-four  hours  since  they  had 
eaten  a  satisfactory  meal;  for  their  mouthful  of 
breakfast  had  only  whetted  their  appetite  for  more. 
Uncle  Phin  had  known  what  hunger  was  before, 
and  was  thus  somewhat  prepared  to  bear  its  suffer 
ings.  Even  Rusty's  patient  dog  nature  enabled  him 
to  suffer  in  silence,  only  revealing  his  misery  by  an 
occasional  whine,  and  by  appealing  glances  at  his 
young  master's  face.  To  this  same  young  master, 
however,  the  hunger  wolf  had  never  seemed  so 
fierce,  nor  so  terrible,  as  now.  Many  a  night  had 
the  fatherless  boy  been  sent  to  bed  by  his  Aunt 
Nancy  without  any  supper,  and  at  such  times  he  had 
been  very  hungry ;  but  never  had  he  imagined  such 
a  longing  for  food  as  he  now  experienced. 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Phin  !  "  he  moaned,  "  can't  you  think 
of  any  way  to  get  something  to  eat  ?  Just  a  loaf  of 
bread  or  some  crackers.  It  does  n't  seem  as  if  I 
could  stand  it  much  longer." 

"  Well,  Honey  !  my  pore  lil  honey  lamb  !  de  ole 
man  is  a  rackin  his  brain,  an  a  projeckin,  an  a 
thinkin,  and  it 's  mo'n  likely  he  '11  strike  up  wif  some 


I5O  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

plan  dreckly.  You  see  des  yeah  'sperience  hab  kim 
up  powerful  sudden,  an  its  umposserbilities  hab  tuk 
me  by  'sprise.  Now  we  might  sell  dat  ar  dorg  Rusty 
fer  ernough  to  buy  a  squar  meal,  ef  we  know'd  whar 
to  fin  a  pusson  what  wanted  a  dorg." 

"Sell  Rusty,  Uncle  Phin  !  Sell  my  dear  little 
dog !  Why,  I  'd  starve  first." 

"  Dats  it !  Dats  jes  de  way  I  knowed  't  would  be," 
said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head  sadly.  u  Well, 
dars  dat  ar  book  ob  yourn.  We  mighter— 

"  My  precious  book,  that  the  beautiful  lady  gavre 
me ! "  cried  the  boy.  "  Why,  Uncle  Phin,  that  's 
worse  than  Rusty.  I  would  n't  give  it  up  for  any 
thing  in  the  world ;  not  even  for  a  great  heaping  plate 
of  hot  buckwheat  cakes,  with  maple  syrup  on  them." 

"  Or  a  fat  possum  roasted  in  a  hole  in  de  groun  ? " 
suggested  the  old  man,  his  mouth  watering  at  the 
thought. 

"  No,  nor  a  beefsteak  with  baked  sweet  potatoes, 
and  hot  rolls,"  said  the  boy,  who,  under  the  circum 
stances,  was  certainly  placing  a  high  value  on  his 
book. 

"  Or  a  big  dish  er  hominy  smoking  frum  de  kittle 
wif  a  plenty  er  pok  gravy,"  added  Uncle  Phin 


PENNILESS  WANDERERS. 


eagerly,  unable  to  conceive  of  anything  more  likely 
to  tempt  a  hungry  little  boy  than  this. 

"  No,  not  for  anything  that  was  ever  cooked,  or 
ever  will  be,  wouft  I  give  up  my  own  dear  book," 
said  Arthur  stoutly. 

They  had  found  a  temporary  refuge  from  the  rain 
in  a  doorway,  and  stood  within  its  shelter  during 
this  exchange  of  the  tantalizing  thoughts  uppermost 
in  their  minds.  Nearly  opposite  to  them  was  a 
street  lamp  that  had  just  been  lighted,  and  they 
watched  the  lamplighter  enviously,  as  he  shouldered 
his  flaming  torch  and  walked  away,  whistling  merrily, 
doubtless  to  a  home  and  supper. 

Now,  as  in  answer  to  Arthur's  last  remark,  Uncle 
Phin  was  saying  :  "  Well,  den,  Honey,  I  don  see  but 
what  we  'se  got  er  go  hungry  twel  tomorrer,  when 
maybe  I  kin  git  er  job  er  wood  sawin,"  there  came  a 
quick  rush  of  feet  on  the  wet  flagging.  Arthur 
turned  to  look  at  the  flying  figure,  and  gave  a  little 
cry  of  recognition,  as  the  light  from  the  street  lamp 
fell  on  its  face.  At  the  same  instant  Rusty  recog 
nized  in  it  his  old  persecutor,  the  boy  with  whom 
his  young  master  had  fought  in  the  tramps'  camp. 
With  a  growl  he  sprang  forward.  Arthur  still  held 


I$2  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  end  of  his  rope,  and  the  dog's  movement  was  so 
sudden  that  it  nearly  threw  him  down.  As  it  was, 
he  stumbled,  and  the  precious  book,  so  recently  the 
subject  of  their  conversation,  fell  to  the  sidewalk. 
The  next  moment  another  figure,  and  this  time  it 
was  that  of  Sandy  Grimes,  the  big  tramp,  rushed 
past,  evidently  in  pursuit  of  his  boy,  and  then  all 
was  again  quiet. 

Recovering  himself,  and  taking  a  firmer  hold  on 
the  rope  that  held  the  still  excited  Rusty,  Arthur 
stepped  forward  and  picked  up  his  book  of  fairy 
tales.  As  he  did  so,  a  bit  of  dark  paper,  that  seemed 
to  fall  from  between  its  leaves,  fluttered  to  the  wet 
stones,  and  this  the  boy  also  picked  up.  Curious  to 
see  what  it  was,  he  held  it  to  the  light  and  uttered  a 
cry  of  incredulous  amazement. 

It  was  a  bank  bill  for  five  dollars ;  and,  although 
Arthur  did  not  know  it  at  the  time,  it  was  the  same  one 
that  his  friend,  Brace  Barlow,  had  slipped  between 
the  leaves  of  the  book  on  the  night  that  he  bade 
them  farewell.  Why  Arthur  had  not  discovered  it 
long  before,  will  always  be  a  mystery  that  can  only 
be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  book  was  a 
large  one,  and  contained  many  stories,  several  of 


PENNILESS  WANDERERS.  153 

which  he  had  not  yet  read.  Between  the  leaves  of 
one  of  these  the  bill  had  probably  been  all  this  time, 
and  now,  in  the  hour  of  the  boy's  sorest  need,  it  came 
to  him  as  though  it  were  indeed  a  gift  from  the  fairy 
god-mother  who  had  written  the  inscription  upon  the 
fly-leaf  of  the  volume. 

Arthur's  excitement  was  fully  shared  by  Uncle 
Phin,  though  with  the  old  man  it  assumed  a  quieter 
and  more  reverent  form.  He  said  :  "  De  good  Lawd 
seen  de  fix  we  was  in,  Honey,  an  He  sen  dis  yeah 
in  place  ob  er  raben,  fer  our  suppah.  Dats  what 
we  'se  er  wantin  de  mostes,  an  dats  what  we  oughter 
to  be  gettin  de  fustes  ting." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A    RAILROAD    EXPERIENCE. 

TO  Uncle  Phin's  proposition  the  boy  fully 
agreed.  Even  Rusty  seemed  to  comprehend 
that  his  young  master's  fortunes  had  taken  a  turn  for 
the  better;  and,  as  they  started  up  the  street,  in 
search  of  a  place  where  they  might  obtain  food,  he 
danced  about  them  barking  joyously. 

Before  long  they  discovered  a  very  small  and 
humble  bake  shop,  kept  by  a  colored  aunty,  who 
looked  almost  as  old  as  Uncle  Phin ;  but  who  was  as 
stout  as  he  was  thin,  and  whose  head  was  covered 
by  a  Madras  kerchief  of  vivid  reds  and  yellows. 
She  was  not  expecting  any  customers  this  stormy 
evening,  and  at  first  regarded  the  new-comers  with 
suspicion,  evidently  fearing  that  they  were  about  to 
appeal  to  her  for  charity.  This,  by  the  way,  as 
they  afterwards  learned,  was  her  name,  "  Aunt 

154 


A    RAILROAD  EXPERIENCE.  155 

Charity."  She  was,  however,  reassured  by  the  sight 
of  the  five-dollar  bill  in  Uncle  Phin's  hand,  by  the 
old  man's  extreme  politeness,  and  by  Arthur's 
honest  blue  eyes.  In  spite  of  his  clothes  being  rain- 
soaked  and  mud-stained,  he  was  so  evidently  a  little 
gentleman,  that  she  involuntarily  dropped  him  a 
curtsey  when,  in  winning  tones,  he  said :  "  Please, 
ma'am,  get  us  something  to  eat.  We  are  nearly 
starved ;  but  we  have  the  money  to  pay  for  it,  and 
I  think  we  would  like  to  have  a  good  deal  of  most 
everything  you  have." 

"  To  be  suttinly,  sah !  To  be  suttinly,  my  pore 
lamb.  You  shall  hab  de  bes  Aunt  Charity  kin 
skeer  up,  dreckly,"  answered  the  old  woman,  drop 
ping  her  curtsey,  and  gazing  compassionately  at  the 
little  fellow.  "  Ef  you'd  like  to  dry  yo'sefs,  while 
I  'se  er  gittiii  sumpin  ready,  yo'se  welkum  to  step 
inter  de  kitchun,  an  set  by  de  fire,  Misto  - 
Here  she  paused  and  looked  at  Uncle  Phin,  as 
though  waiting  for  him  to  complete  her  sentence  by 
introducing  himself. 

"Phin  Dale  ob  Dalecourt,  Ferginny,"  said  the 
old  man,  promptly,  adding,  "  and  dis  my  lil  Marse 
Arthur  Dale  Dustin.  We  is  a  trabblin  to  his  gran- 


156  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

paw's,  an  is  to  take  de  kyars  fo  Dalecourt,  soon  as 
we  is  eatin  our  suppah." 

As  Aunt  Chanty  had  also  spent  the  earlier  days 
of  her  life  in  Virginia,  a  bond  of  sympathy  was  at 
once  established  between  them,  and  she  bustled 
about,  with  surprising  agility  for  one  of  her  size,  to 
make  the  travellers  comfortable.  She  had  intended 
supplying  their  wants  from  the  counter  and  well- 
filled  shelves  of  her  little  shop ;  but,  after  they  were 
comfortably  seated  in  the  friendly  warmth  of  the 
kitchen  stove,  she  decided  to  make  a  pot  of  tea,  and 
then  to  fry  a  rasher  of  bacon  with  some  eggs.  Nor 
did  she  neglect  their  immediate  wants,  while  prepar 
ing  these  things.  Hunger  was  so  plainly  stamped 
on  their  faces,  that  it  would  have  been  cruel  to  keep 
them  waiting  a  single  minute  before  beginning  to 
satisfy  it.  So  she  gave  them  each  a  big,  shiny- 
topped  bun,  with  currants  in  it,  and  when  she  saw 
Arthur  breaking  off  a  piece  of  his  for  Rusty,  she 
immediately  got  another  for  the  hungry  dog. 

What  a  pleasant  contrast  this  cheerful,  low-ceiled 
kitchen,  with  its  glowing  stove,  presented  to  the 
cold,  and  wet,  and  darkness  of  the  streets  through 
which  they  were  wandering  so  hopelessly  but  a  few 


A    RAILROAD   EXPERIENCE.  157 

minutes  before.  How  thoroughly  Arthur  and 
Uncle  Phin  appreciated  its  comforts,  and  what 
glances,  expressive  of  gratitude  and  complete  satis 
faction,  they  exchanged  as  they  sat  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  stove,  well  back  so  as  not  to  interfere 
with  the  ponderous  but  bustling  movements  of  the 
mistress  of  the  establishment. 

In  the  darkest  corner  of  the  room  was  a  high, 
calico-curtained  bedstead,  from  beneath  which  pro 
jected  one  end  of  a  low  trundle-bed.  In  this  could 
just  be  distinguished  two  little  woolly  heads,  from 
which  two  pairs  of  wide-open  black  eyes  gazed  won- 
deringly  at  the  strangers,  and  the  busy  scene  about 
the  stove. 

When  Uncle  Phin  inquired,  with  an  air  of  well- 
feigned  interest,  if  those  were  her  children,  Aunt 
Charity  paused  in  her  work  for  a  moment,  and, 
standing  with  arms  akimbo,  regarded  them  with 
great  complacency,  as  she  answered :  "  No,  Misto 
Phin  Dale,  deys  not  niy  ownly  chillun ;  but  deys 
my  gran'chillun,  once  remobed.  You  see  deir  maw, 
she  my  ole  man's  f ustes  wife's  gal,  by  her  fustes  hus- 
ban'.  80  when  dey  came  to  be  twins  an'  orfuns  at 
de  same  time,  I  wuz  deir  nex  ob  kin,  an  dey  nach- 


158  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

erly  fell  to  my  sheer  ob  de  estate.  Now,  I  'se  gwine 
gib  'em  a  eddicashun,  and  train  'em  up  fer  de  white 
wash  an  kalsermine  bizness." 

Warm  and  dry,  strengthened  and  refreshed  by 
their  supper,  of  which  little  Rusty  had  eaten  his 
full  share  and  would  now  have  greatly  preferred 
lying  under  the  stove  to  going  out  into  the  stormy 
night,  our  travellers  again  set  forth  on  their  journey. 
Had  Aunt  Charity's  mite  of  a  house  afforded  a  spare 
room  she  would  have  invited  them  to  occupy  it 
until  morning ;  but  it  did  not,  and  she  had  no  place 
to  offer  them.  Then,  too,  Uncle  Phin  was  most 
anxious  to  start  at  once,  now  that  they  had  money, 
in  hopes  that  it  would  last  until  they  reached 
their  journey's  end.  So  interested  had  Aunt  Charity 
become  in  the  young  lad  who  was  so  bravely  seek 
ing  a  distant  home  in  place  of  the  one  where 
he  had  been  cruelly  and  unjustly  treated — for 
Uncle  Phin  had  told  her  the  whole  of  Arthur's 
history, — that  she  at  first  refused  to  receive  any  pay 
for  their  supper.  Both  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin 
insisted  so  strongly  that  she  should,  that  at  length 
she  consented  to  take  twenty-five  cents,  but  no 
more.  She  also  forced  into  Uncle  Phin's  hands  a 


A    RAILROAD  EXPERIENCE.  159 

paper  bag  full  of  rolls  and  cakes  for  Arthur  just 
as  they  left,  and  stood  in  the  doorway  watching 
them  until  they  were  lost  to  sight  in  the  shadows 
of  the  dimly  lighted  street. 

Aunt  Charity  had  given  them  directions  for  reach 
ing  the  railway  station,  so  that  they  had  no  trouble 
in  finding  it.  Here  they  were  quickly  bewildered 
by  the  hurrying  throngs  of  people  and  great  trucks 
of  baggage  that  were  being  trundled  up  and  down 
the  platform,  the  puffing  and  snorting  of  engines, 
and  the  dazzling  white  light  of  the  electric  lamps. 

At  last  Uncle  Phin  ventured  to  address  a  man  in 
a  cap  and  blue  coat,  whom  he  took  to  be  one  of  the 
railway  officials. 

"Please,  sah,"  said  the  old  man,  bowing  humbly 
and  pulling  at  the  brim  of  his  tattered  hat,  "  which 
ob  de  kyars  is  er  gwine  to  Ferginny  ? " 

"  Which  way  are  you  bound  ? "  asked  the  official, 
sharply.  "  East  or  west  ? " 

Uncle  Phin  did  not  know. 

"  Let  me  see  your  tickets  ? " 

Uncle  Phin  had  none.  "De  man  haint  passen 
ob  'em  roun  yet,"  he  said. 

"  Are  you  going  to  Richmond,  Virginia  ?  " 


l6o  BORING  FOR    OIL. 

"  Near  by  dar,  sah  !  Clus  on  to  it ! "  cried  the  old 
man,  eagerly,  delighted  at  hearing  the  familiar  name. 

"  Well,  then  you  want  to  take  the  first  through 
train  going  east,  and  it  won't  be  along  till  mid 
night." 

With  this  the  busy  railroad  man  hurried  on, 
leaving  our  friends  gazing  at  each  other  in  dismay. 
Midnight  !  and  now  it  was  only  seven  o'clock. 
What  should  they  do  and  where  should  they  go  to 
pass  those  five  hour's  I  They  did  not  dare  go  very 
far  from  the  railway  station,  and  so  they  wandered 
aimlessly  about  in  the  darkness  near  it,  growing 
more  weary,  more  wet,  cold,  and  uncomfortable  with 
each  moment. 

At  length  they  paused  before  an  empty  freight 
car,  one  door  of  which  was  partly  open.  Why  not 
seek  shelter  from  the  storm  in  it  ? 

Nobody  saw  them  as  they  climbed  into  the  car, 
which  they  found  to  be  half  filled  with  sacks  of  corn- 
meal.  On  these  they  made  themselves  quite  com 
fortable,  and  here  they  decided  to  wait  patiently 
until  the  lighted  clock  on  a  tower  above  the  station 
which  they  could  see  from  the  car  door,  should  tell 
them  that  it  was  nearly  midnight.  Of  course  they 


A   RAILROAD  EXPERIENCE.  l6l 

had  no  idea  of  going  to  sleep.  That  would  never 
do ;  for  they  must  watch  the  clock.  How  slowly  its 
hands  crept  round.  Arthur  resolutely  turned  his 
eyes  away  from  it,  determined  not  to  look  again  for 
at  least  half  an  hour.  When  satisfied  that  that 
length  of  time  had  elapsed,  he  glanced  at  its  round 
yellow  face,  only  to  find  that  barely  five  minutes  had 
passed.  He  spoke  of  this  to  Uncle  Phin,  but  re 
ceived  no  answer.  The  old  man  was  fast  asleep. 

"  Poor  Uncle  Phin  ! "  said  the  boy  to  himself. 
11  He  must  be  very  tired,  and  I  won't  wake  him  till 
it  's  time  to  go." 

So  Arthur  watched  the  lighted  clock  until  it 
looked  like  a  moon,  and  then  he  rubbed  his  eyes  to 
make  sure  that  it  was  not  winking  and  laughing  at 
him.  And  then — and  then  he  too  was  fast  asleep, 
with  one  arm  thrown  about  Rusty's  neck,  and  the 
only  sounds  to  be  heard  were  the  patter  of  rain  on 
the  roof  of  the  motionless  freight  car,  and  the  regu 
lar  breathing  of  its  three  tired  occupants. 

An  hour  later  two  men,  carrying  lanterns  and 
wearing  rubber  coats  that  glistened  \srith  the  wet, 
came  along  and  paused  before  the  freight  car.  One 
of  them  consulted  a  way  bill.  "  Yes,  this  is  it,"  he 


1 62  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

said.  "  No.  201,  corn-meal  for  Harrisburg.  Six 
sacks  to  be  left  at  Arden.  That  's  all  right.  Shut 
her  up,  Joe.  It  was  mighty  careless  of  those  fellows 
to  leave  the  door  open." 

Then  Joe  pushed  the  heavy  door  to,  with  a  slam. 
It  fastened  with  a  spring  lock,  and  the  men  with  the 
lanterns  walked  away  to  look  up  the  rest  of  their 
train.  A  little  later  an  engine  came  rolling  softly 
along  the  wet  track  to  where  the  car  stood.  There 
was  a  bump,  a  rattle  of  coupling  pins  and  links,  a 
swinging  of  lanterns,  and  the  car  was  drawn  away, 
past  the  multitude  of  little  red,  and  green,  and  yellow 
lights  twinkling  through  the  rain  and  darkness  like 
big  fire-flies,  and  marking  the  switches. 

The  car  was  hauled  and  pushed  hither  and  thither, 
and  others  were  attached  to  it,  until  at  length  a  long 
train  was  made  up.  The  great  locomotive  panted, 
eager  to  be  off,  and  its  hot  breath  made  little  clouds 
of  fleecy  steam,  that  were  edged  with  flame  by  the 
glow  from  its  open-mouthed  furnace.  The  brakernen 
were  at  their  posts  on  the  slippery  tops  of  the  cars ; 
the  caboose  at  the  rear  end  of  the  train  looked  warm 
and  comfortable.  The  red  lights,  shining  like  angry 
eyes,  were  hung  in  position  on  its  sides  near  the  rear 


A    RAILROAD  EXPERIENCE,  163 

end,  and  freight  train  No.  15  was  in  readiness  for  a 
start. 

The  conductor  came  from  the  Train  Despatcher's 
office  with  a  thin  sheet  of  yellow  paper,  on  which 
were  written  his  orders,  in  his  hand. 

"  No  tramps  on  board  to-night,  are  there,  Joe  ? ''  he 
said  to  his  head  brakeman. 

"  No,  sir,  not  a  sign  of  one.  I  've  looked  carefully 
everywhere.  It  's  too  wet  for  'em  to  travel,  I 
reckon." 

"  All  right.     Let  her  go.'1 

Then  the  conductor  swung  his  glistening  lantern, 
the  engineer  pulled  the  throttle,  and  Freight  No.  15 
moved  slowly  out  into  the  darkness.  Its  first  stop 
\\  as  at  Arden,  where  it  was  to  side-track  and  await 
the  passing  of  the  New  York  Limited.  Here  too 
were  to  be  left  six  sacks  of  meal. 

As  Brakeman  Joe  unlocked  and  pushed  open  the 
door  of  car  No.  201,  and  the  light  of  his  lantern 
flashed  into  its  dark  interior,  it  fell  upon  something 
that  caused  him  to  start  and  exclaim  : 

"  Great  Scott !  the  tramps  are  travelling  after  all, 
and  here  they  are.  A  dog  too  !  Well,  if  that  is  n't 
cold  cheek  !  " 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

CARRIED    OFF   IN    A    FREIGHT    CAR. 

BRAKEMAN  JOE  did  not  love  tramps.  His 
regular  work  was  hard  enough,  goodness 
knows  ;  and  when,  in  addition  to  it,  he  had  to  make 
a  thorough  examination  of  the  whole  train  at  every 
stopping-place,  peering,  by  the  light  of  his  lantern, 
between  and  underneath  the  cars  for  tramps,  who 
might  be  stealing  a  ride,  he  felt  that  he  had  good 
cause  to  dislike  them.  Sometimes  he  had  hard  tus 
sles  before  dislodging  them  from  their  perches  and 
roosts,  and  many  an  ugly  blow  had  he  received  while 
performing  this  duty.  Joe  had,  therefore,  learned  to 
deal  very  promptly,  not  to  say  roughly,  with  this 
portion  of  the  travelling  public  whenever  he  found 
them  on  or  in  the  cars  under  his  charge. 

On  this  particular  night  he  had  made  sure,  before 

starting,  that  there  was  not  a  single  tramp  on  the 

164 


CARRIED   OFF  IN  A   FREIGHT  CAR.  165 

train,  and  had  in  consequence  been  anticipating  a 
comparatively  easy  trip.  And  now  he  had,  as  he 
supposed,  discovered  a  whole  nest  of  them  snugly 
stowed  away  in  car  No.  201.  A  dog  too  !  It  was 
aggravating,  and,  under  the  circumstances,  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that  he  hustled  them  out  of  there 
without  much  regard  to  their  feelings. 

Both  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  had  been  suddenly 
awakened,  and  greatly  alarmed,  when  Brakeman 
Joe  first  slammed  and  locked  the  door  of  the  car  in 
which  they  had  taken  refuge  from  the  storm.  They 
had  a  confused  idea  that  they  had  been  asleep, 
though  for  how  long  they  could  not  tell,  and  now 
they  could  no  longer  see  the  lighted  clock  above  the 
railway  station.  It  might  even  be  midnight,  and 
time  for  their  train  to  come  along  for  all  they  knew. 
They  shouted,  and  kicked  against  the  locked  door, 
and  Rusty  barked ;  but  all  in  vain.  The  conductor 
and  Brakeman  Joe  had  walked  away  before  these 
noises  began,  and  there  was  no  one  else  to  hear 
them. 

Then  the  engine  came  and  pushed  and  pulled  the 
car  about  until  they  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
direction  in  which  they  were  moving.  It  might  be 


1 66  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

forward  or  backward,  east  or  west,  for  all  they  could 
,tell.  Nor  was  their  situation  improved  when  the 
train,  of  which  car  No.  201  finally  formed  a  part, 
pulled  out  of  the  railway  yard,  and  started  on  its 
long  journey.  They  had  no  idea  which  way  it  was 
going,  and  Arthur  could  have  cried  as  he  reflected 
that  they  might  be  travelling  in  exactly  the  opposite 
direction  from  that  they  wished  to  take,  and  might 
be  carried  hundreds  of  miles  before  their  car  door 
was  again  unlocked.  As  he  could  not  do  this,  be 
cause  he  was  a  Dale,  he  only  hugged  little  Rusty, 
and  tried  to  be  comforted  by  Uncle  Phin's  assur 
ances  "  Dat  de  good  Lawd  was  er  gwine  ter  keer 
for  dem,  jes  like  He  did  fer  de  sparrers,  whose 
hairs  was  all  counted  so  as  dey  shouldn'  fall  to  de 
groun." 

Arthur's  unhappiness  was  increased  by  the  fact 
that  he  could  nowhere  feel  his  precious  book.  It 
had  slipped  from  his  grasp  as  he  slept,  and  now  was 
nowhere  to  be  found.  Thus  the  first  stage  of  their 
journey  by  rail  was  a  most  unhappy  one,  and  they 
were  glad  to  forget  their  sorrows  in  the  sleep  that 
again  overcame  them  a  few  minutes  before  the  train 
made  its  first  stop. 


CARRIED   OFF  IN  A   FREIGHT  CAR.  167 

The  Arden  station  was  a  very  small  one,  in  a 
lonely  place,  with  no  houses  near  it.  It  was  only 
a  platform  with  a  freight  shed  at  one  end,  and  a 
more  forlorn  place  for  a  stranger  to  be  left  on  a  dark, 
stormy  night,  could  hardly  be  imagined.  Arthur 
and  Uncle  Phin  were  not  conscious  of  the  train 
stopping  here,  and  were  only  awakened  from  their 
troubled  sleep  by  the  light  from  Brakeman  Joe's 
lantern  flashing  in  their  faces.  They  were  just 
sitting  up  and  gazing  at  him,  in  a  bewildered  way, 
when  this  energetic  young  man  hustled  them  out  of 
the  car  in  his  roughest  manner.  It  was  so  rough,  in 
fact,  that  poor  Uncle  Phin,  impelled  by  a  violent 
push,  slipped  on  the  wet  platform,  and  fell  heavily. 
He  struck  one  of  his  knees  such  a  painful  blow  that, 
for  a  few  moments,  he  was  unable  to  rise,  and  lay 
there  groaning. 

"  Are  n't  you  ashamed  of  yourself  to  treat  aii  old 
man  so  ! "  cried  Arthur  to  Brakeman  Joe,  as  with 
flashing  eyes  and  quivering  lips  he  sprang  to  his 
companion's  side,  and  endeavored  to  assist  him  to 
his  feet. 

"  Well,  what  business  has  the  old  tramp  got  to  be 
stealing  a  ride  on  my  train  ?  "  replied  the  brakeman, 


1 68  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

sulkily,  though  at  the  same  time  bending  over  Uncle 
Phin  and  helping  him  up. 

He  was  not  a  bad-hearted  young  man,  this  Brake- 
man  Joe ;  but  he  was  overworked,  and  much  bothered 
by  tramps.  Generally  he  was  good-natured,  and 
was  especially  kind  and  gentle  with  old  people,  for 
he  had  an  old  father  at  home  of  whom  he  was  the 
sole  support,  and  to  whom  he  was  devoted.  He  had 
not  noticed,  in  the  dim  light,  that  Uncle  Phin  was 
old  and  white-headed.  He  had  only  regarded  him 
as  a  tramp,  who,  as  everybody  knows,  is  apt  to  be 
young  and  strong,  and  well  able  to  perform  the  labor 
that  he  refuses  to  undertake  out  of  sheer  laziness. 
So  now  he  helped  the  prostrate  figure  to  its  feet,  said 
he  hoped  the  old  fellow  was  not  much  hurt,  and  then 
returned  to  his  task  of  dragging  the  six  sacks  of 
meal,  that  were  to  be  left  at  Arden,  from  the  car. 

"  What  's  the  matter  here,  Joe  ? "  asked  the  con 
ductor  of  the  train,  stepping  up  at  this  moment. 

"  Only  a  couple  of  stowaways  that  I  found  steal 
ing  a  ride  in  this  car,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Tramps,  eh  ? "  said  the  conductor,  sharply,  flash 
ing  the  light  from  his  lantern  upon  the  two  trembling 
figures  who  stood  behind  him.  "  A  dog,  too,"  he 


CARRIED   OFF  IN  A   FREIGHT  CAR.  169 

continued,  "  and  I  '11  warrant  they  stole  it.  I  Ve  a 
mind  to  take  it  in  payment  for  their  ride.  If  this 
was  a  town  I  'd  have  you  fellows  arrested  and  locked 
up  in  less  than  no  time.  You,  and  all  your  kind, 
ought  to  be  killed  off  for  the  good  of  the  country. 
As  it  is  I  '11  leave  you  here  to  soak  in  the  rain  for 
the  rest  of  the  night,  and  perhaps  some  of  the  worth- 
lessness  will  be  washed  out  of  you  by  morning. 
Hello  !  what  's  this  ?  " 

Here  the  conductor  stooped  and  picked  up  a  small 
object  over  which  Brakeman  Joe  had  stumbled,  and 
which  he  had  sent  flying  out  on  to  the  platform. 

It  was  a  book,  and  the  conductor  picked  it  up, 
wondering  where  it  could  have  come  from.  " '  An 
dersen's  Fairy  Tales,'  "  he  read  aloud,  holding  it  up 
to  his  lantern.  "  The  very  book  my  little  Kitty  was 
asking  me  to  get  for  her  only  the  other  day  !  Well, 
if  this  is  n't  a  find  ! "  Then,  turning  to  the  fly-leaf, 
he  read  aloud  :  "  To  Prince  Dusty,  from— 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  Arthur,  who  sprang 
forward,  and,  stretching  out  his  hand  for  the  book, 
cried :  "  Please,  sir,  it  's  mine ;  and  I  should  feel 
dreadfully  to  lose  it,  and  we  are  n't  tramps,  and 
did  n't  mean  to  steal  a  ride.  We  got  locked  in  by 


170  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

accident,  and  we  have  money  enough  to  pay  for 
everything,  and  oh  !  please  don't  leave  us  here  in 
this  lonely  place." 

The  conductor  stared  at  the  boy  in  amazement. 
"  Well,  you  do  look  like  a  '  little  Dusty '  sure  enough, 
though  I  can't  say  that  you  are  exactly  what  I  should 
have  fancied  a  Prince  was.  Who  are  you,  anyway  ? 
And  where  do  you  want  to  go  to  ? " 

Then  Arthur,  who  was  completely  covered  with 
white  dust  from  the  meal  sacks  on  which  he  had  been 
sleeping,  told  the  conductor,  in  as  few  words  as  pos 
sible,  of  the  object  of  their  journey,  and  how  they 
happened  to  be  locked  into  car  No.  201.  He  finished 
by  repeating  that  they  had  money,  and  would  wil 
lingly  pay  for  the  privilege  of  riding  further  on  the 
train,  provided  it  was  bound  east.  This  last  ques 
tion  was  asked  most  anxiously,  for  as  yet  the  boy 
had. not  the  slightest  idea  of  where  they  were. 

"  Bound  east ! "  exclaimed  the  conductor.  "  Of 
course  we  are,  and  there  goes  the  'New  York  Limi 
ted  '  now."  As  he  spoke,  an  express  train,  of  heavy 
vestibuled  cars,  thundered  past  them,  with  a  roar  and 
a  crash,  at  such  tremendous  speed  that  in  a  second  it 
was  gone,  and  its  two  red  eyes,  looking  backward, 


CARRIED   OFF  IN  A   FREIGHT  CAR.  If  I 

seemed  to  wink   mockingly  at  the  snail-like  freight 
train,  as  they  were  whisked  out  of  sight. 

"  Now,"  said  the  conductor  as  the  roar  of  the  ex 
press  dying  away  permitted  his  voice  to  be  again 
heard,  "  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  You  say  you 
are  not  tramps,  and  did  n't  mean  to  stow  away  in 
that  car,  and  that  you  have  money  enough  to  pay  for 
your  trip.  That  all  may  be  so,  and  it  may  not.  At 
any  rate  I  have  n't  time  to  investigate  your  story 
now,  for  we  must  pull  out  of  here  at  once.  So  you 
and  the  old  man  and  the  dog  just  tumble  into  that 
caboose,  and  I  '11  carry  you  along  a  bit  further.  We  '11 
see  about  paying  for  the  trip  when  you  decide  how 
far  you  want  to  go,  and  you  shall  read  a  story  out  of 
your  book  to  Brakeman  Joe  and  me,  to  pay  for  the 
ride  you  have  already  had.  But  mind,"  he  added 
threateningly  as  Arthur  began  to  thank  him,  "  if  I 
find  that  you  have  been  telling  me  any  lies,  I  '11  have 
you  arrested  and  locked  up  in  the  very  first  town  we 
come  to." 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

SAVING    THE    KEYSTONE    EXPRESS. 

CONDUCTOR  TOBIN,  of  freight  No.  15,  was 
one  of  the  biggest-hearted  and  most  generous 
men  on  the  road.  In  fact  it  was  largely  owing  to 
this  that  he  had  not  long  ago  been  promoted  from 
a  freight  to  a  passenger  train.  He  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  taking  a  place  from  any  of  his  friends, 
wliom  he  thought  needed  it  more  than  he  did.  So 
he  always  held  back,  and  let  them  step  up  over  his 
head,  and  rejoiced  with  them  in  their  good  fortune, 
and  said  he  would  take  his  turn  next  time.  He  had  a 
wife  and  one  little  girl  about  Arthur's  age,  whose 
name  was  Katherine,  but  who  was  called  "  Kitty  " 
for  short ;  and,  though  the  conductor's  pay  was  small, 
they  managed  to  make  both  ends  meet,  and  lived 
very  happily  in  Harrisburg,  in  a  little  cottage  that 

they  only  rented,  but  which  it  was  their  great  desire 

172 


SAVING  THE  KEYSTONE  EXPRESS.  173 

to  own,  some  day.  It  was  so  conveniently  situated, 
not  far  from  the  railroad,  and  yet  in  such  a  nice  part 
of  the  town  that  Mrs.  Tobin  often  said  to  Conductor 
Tobin  that  they  could  not  find  one  more  to  their 
liking,  if  they  should  look  for  a  hundred  years,  and 
Conductor  Tobin  agreed  with  her. 

Like  Brakeman  Joe,  the  only  persons  with  whom 
Conductor  Tobin  had  no  patience,  and  upon  whom 
he  was  very  severe  whenever  they  came  in  his  way, 
were  tramps.  In  the  present  case  he  was  pleased 
with  the  sweet,  honest  face  of  little  "  Prince  Dusty," 
a  name  that  struck  his  fancy  most  happily.  It  seemed 
a  proof  of  the  truthfulness  of  Arthur's  claims,  that 
he  possessed,  and  evidently  valued,  the  very  book 
for  which  his  little  girl  had  expressed  a  desire.  Thus 
he  became  favorably  inclined  toward  our  travellers, 
and  offered  to  help  them  on  with  their  journey. 

So  it  happened  that,  when  freight  No.  15  pulled 
slowly  and  heavily  out  from  the  Arden  siding,  Ar 
thur  and  Uncle  Phin  and  Rusty,  instead  of  being 
left  behind  on  the  storm-beaten  platform,  were  com 
fortably  seated  about  the  little  round  stove  in  the 
caboose,  enjoying  its  grateful  warmth  and  very  happy 
over  their  good  fortune. 


174  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Soon  after  starting,  Conductor  Tobin  and  Brake- 
man  Joe  entered  the  caboose,  and  sat  down  for  a  chat 
with  their  guests.  Uncle  Phin  was  too  fully  occu 
pied  in  nursing  his  bruised  knee  to  enter  very 
heartily  into  the  conversation  ;  but  Arthur  so  easily 
sustained  his  share  of  it,  that  the  trainmen  were 
delighted  with  his  intelligence  and  ready  wit. 
After  he  had  told  them  all  that  he  could  about  him 
self,  he  began  to  ask  them  questions,  whereby  he 
gained  much  information  concerning  railroad  busi 
ness  in  general,  and  the  running  of  trains  in  particular. 
They  allowed  him  to  climb  up  into  the  cupola  of  the 
caboose,  through  the  four  windows  of  which  he 
could  look  out  into  the  night,  ahead,  behind,  and  on 
both  sides.  Then  they  showed  him  their  red  and 
white  lanterns,  and  set  of  flags,  and  explained  their 
uses.  He  thus  learned  that,  if  any  accident  hap 
pened  to  their  train,  it  would  be  the  conductor's 
first  duty  to  send  a  brakeman  back  on  the  track  to 
wave  a  red  lantern,  and  warn  approaching  trains  of 
the  danger  ahead. 

"  Would  a  train  always  stop  if  a  red  lantern  was 
waved  across  the  track  ahead  of  it  ? "  asked 
Arthur. 


SAVING  THE   KEYSTONE   EXPRESS.  175 

"  Of  course  it  would,"  was  the  answer,  "  for  if  it 
did  n't  it  would  get  into  trouble." 

Brakeman  Joe  even  went  so  far  as  to  initiate  the 
boy  into  the  mysteries  of  his  own  peculiar  depart 
ment.  Of  course  he  did  not  invite  him  to  walk  over 
the  wet  roofs  of  the  moving  train,  in  order  to  show 
him  how  the  brakes  of  the  freight  cars  were  set  up ; 
but  he  gave  him  a  lesson  on  the  platform  of  the 
caboose  that  answered  every  purpose. 

Then  the  trainmen  brought  out  their  tin  lunch 
pails,  and  from  their  contents,  together  with  those 
of  the  paper  bag  so  thoughtfully  provided  by  Aunt 
Charity,  the  merry  party  of  five,  for  of  course  the 
always-hungry  Rusty  was  included  in  it,  made  a 
hearty  midnight  supper. 

Freight  No.  15  had  stopped  several  time  to  drop 
or  pick  up  loaded  cars ;  but,  as  yet,  nothing  had 
been  said  about  leaving  the  guests  behind,  or  about 
Arthur  reading  a  story  in  payment  for  the  earlier 
portion  of  their  ride.  At  length,  when  they  were 
toiling  slowly  up  a  long,  heavy  grade,  for  they  were 
now  climbing  the  western  slope  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains,  Conductor  Tobin  claimed  the  fulfilment 
of  this  promise,  and  Arthur  willingly  undertook  to 


1/6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

read  the  story  of  "  The  Wild  Swans."  Brakeman 
Joe  was  at  his  post  in  the  cupola  on  look-out,  so 
of  course  he  could  not  be  expected  to  listen  to  the 
reading.  Nor  could  the  conductor  hear  very  well, 
above  the  roar  of  the  train,  though  the  boy  strove  to 
read  loudly  and  clearly.  At  length,  as  it  was  evi 
dent  that  he  was  straining  his  voice,  and  also  that 
he  was  growing  very  sleepy,  kind-hearted  Conductor 
Tobin  gently  took  the  book  from  his  hands,  and 
bade  him  lie  dowrn  on  a  sort  of  long  bench,  covered 
with  a  cushion  and  a  blanket,  that  ran  along  one 
side  of  the  caboose,  while  he  finished  the  story  for 
himself. 

Here,  with  Rusty  nestled  close  beside  him,  the 
tired  boy  quickly  fell  asleep,  while  Uncle  Phin 
nodded  and  dozed  in  a  big  arm-chair  beside  the 
stove,  and  the  only  sounds  heard  were  the  panting 
of  the  locomotive,  and  the  rattle  of  the  heavy  train 
as  it  toiled  slowly  up  the  steep  grades. 

Somewhere  near  the  summit  a  stop  was  made  for 
water.  During  it  both  Conductor  Tobin  and  Brake 
man  Joe  went  to  the  forward  end  of  the  long  train 
for  a  chat  with  the  engineer.  They  were  still  talking 
when  it  was  time  to  start  ahead,  and  both  men 


SAVING  THE  KEYSTONE  EXPRESS.  177 

jumped  into  the  cab  for  a  moment  that  they  might 
finish  what  they  were  saying.  Then  they  began  to 
make  their  way  back  toward  the  caboose,  walking  as 
quickly  and  surely  over  the  swaying  roofs  of  the 
cars  as  though  they  had  been  on  solid  ground. 

It  had  ceased  to  rain ;  but  thick,  damp  mist 
clouds,  were  driving  over  the  mountains,  and  they 
at  first  thought  this  was  the  reason  why  they  did 
not  see  the  green  lights,  that  should  show  in  the 
back  of  the  red  caboose  lanterns.  Then  they  became 
anxious,  and  quickened  their  steps.  When  they 
reached  the  end  of  the  train  their  worst  fears  were 
realized.  The  caboose  was  no  longer  there. 

The  engineer,  happening  to  look  back,  saw  their 
swinging  lanterns.  A  sharp,  imperative  whistle  blast 
called  for  brakes.  For  a  few  moments  there  was  a 
harsh  grinding  of  the  iron  brake  shoes  against 
iron  wheels,  and  then  the  train  came  to  a  stand 
still.  As  it  did  so  Conductor  Tobin  ran  breathlessly 
up  to  the  locomotive,  shouting :  "  Back  down  to 
the  tank  !  Side-track  the  train,  and  run  your  engine 
back  after- the  caboose.  It  's  broke  loose  and  gone 
down  the  grade  !  Number  IT  is  coming  up  behind 
us  !  There  is  n't  one  chance  in  ten  thousand  but 


12 


178  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

what  there  '11  be  a  collision  !  We  Ve  got  to  take 
that  one  though,  and  do  what  we  can." 

Long  before  he  finished  speaking  Conductor  To- 
bin  was  in  the  cab,  and  the  train  was  backing  rapidly 
toward  the  siding.  Brakeman  Joe  had  run  back  to 
the  little  green  light  at  its  end,  unlocked  and  thrown 
over  the  lever,  so  that  now  a  "  flying  switch  "  was 
made,  and,  while  the  train  ran  in  on  the  siding,  the 
locomotive,  previously  cut  loose  from  it,  still  stood 
on  the  main  track.  Again  the  lever  was  thrown 
over,  the  green  light,  denoting  that  the  main  track 
was  open,  swung  into  place,  and  the  engine  seemed 
to  give  a  great  bound  as  it  plunged  swiftly  down 
the  grade  in  pursuit  of  the  runaway  caboose. 

In  the  meantime  Arthur  had  been  suddenly  awak 
ened  from  his  nap  by  a  peculiar  jarring  jerk  that 
accompanied  the  starting  of  the  train,  and  by  a  loud 
barking  from  Rusty.  For  an  instant  the  caboose 
stood  still,  though  he  could  hear  the  other  cars  in 
motion,  then  it  began  to  move  backwards ;  at  first 
very  slowly,  but  increasing  its  speed  with  each  mo 
ment.  Although  he  did  not  yet  realize  in-  the  least 
what  had  happened,  the  boy  felt  uneasy,  and  stepping 
to  the  door  he  looked  out.  Even  to  his  inexperienced 
eye  the  situation  was  clear  at  a  glance. 


SAVING  THE  KEYSTONE  EXPRESS.  179 

A  coupling-pin  had  broken,  and  the  caboose  was 
running  away  down  the  steep  grade  the  train  had 
just  climbed. 

"  Quick,  Uncle  Phin  ! "  he  shouted,  "  come  here 
quick!"  and  the  old  man,  hobbling  to  the  door, 
found  the  boy  exerting  all  of  his  strength  upon  the 
iron  brake  wheel. 

Together  they  tugged  and  strained  at  it  until  at 
length  they  got  the  brake  set,  after  a  fashion.  Of 
course  not  as  Brakernan  Joe's  powerful  arms  could 
have  done  it,  but  so  that  its  iron  shoes  ground  with 
considerable  force  against  the  wheels. 

At  first  it  did  not  seem  to  have  the  slightest  effect, 
and  the  car  still  rushed  at  a  fearful  speed  down  the 
mountain  side,  whirling  around  the  sharp  curves 
with  sickening  lurches  that  nearly  threw  its  passen 
gers  off  their  feet. 

Suddenly  a  new  terror  was  added  to  the  situation. 
From  down  in  the  valley  came  the  shrill  whistle  of 
an  approaching  train,  and  they  knew  it  was  climb 
ing  the  grade  toward  them  on  the  same  track.  Now 
their  runaway  car  struck  a  short  place  of  comparative 
level,  and  its  speed  seemed  to  slacken. 

If  they  could  only  set  that  brake  up  one  more 
notch  !  It  seemed  impossible ;  but  they  did  it,  and 


ISO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  red  sparks  began  to  fly  from  the  grinding 
wheels. 

They  were  certainly  going  slower,  and,  at  last,  on 
the  beginning  of  an  abrupt  curve,  they  stopped. 
Another  hundred  feet  would  have  sent  them  flying 
down  the  steepest  grade  of  the  mountain. 

Arthur  bade  Uncle  Phin  take  one  of  the  two  red 
lanterns  left  in  the  car  and  swing  it  from  the  front 
platform.  Then,  with  the  other  in  his  hand,  he 
jumped  to  the  track,  and  ran  at  the  top  of  his  speed 
around  the  curve  ahead  of  them.  He  was  not  a 
second  too  soon,  for  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
caboose  he  was  nearly  blinded  by  the  sudden  glare 
of  an  approaching  headlight.  Standing  steadily  in 
the  middle  of  the  track  he  swung  his  danger  signal 
to  and  fro,  until  he  could  feel  the  hot  breath  of  the 
approaching  monster,  and  then  he  sprang  aside. 

Its  powerful  air  brakes  were  already  at  work,  and 
the  "  Keystone  Express,"  filled  with  sleeping  pas 
sengers,  came  to  a  standstill  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  runaway  caboose,  just  as  the  engine  from  the 
freight  train  bumped  softly  against  it  from  the  other 
direction. 

As  Conductor  Tobin  picked  Arthur  up   in   his 


STANDING   STEADILY    IN    THE   MIDDLE   OF   THE    TRACK    HE   SWUNG  HIS 
DANGER    SIGNAL   TO   AND   FRO.      (Page  l8o.) 


SAVING  THE  KEYSTONE   EXPRESS.  l8l 

arms  and  carried  him  back  to  the  caboose  the  tears 
were  streaming  down  his  face,  and  he  said :  "  God 
bless  you,  lad  !  You  Ve  done  a  thing  this  night  the 
oldest  trainman  on  the  road  might  be  proud  of 
doing." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CROSSING     THE     ALLEGHANIES. 

SO  little  "  Priuce  Dusty,"  by  remembering  what 
he  had  been  taught,  and  having  the  common- 
sense  to  put  it  into  practice,  was  able  to  prevent  a 
terrible  disaster.  Some  boys  of  his  age  would  have 
been  so  frightened  at  finding  themselves  in  a  run 
away  car,  plunging  madly  down  a  mountain-side, 
that  they  would  have  become  panic-stricken  and 
utterly  powerless  to  help  themselves  or  others. 
They  would  have,  as  people  say,  lost  their  heads ; 
but  Arthur  was  not  one  of  the  kind  who  lose  their 
heads.  He  had  been  sensibly  brought  up  by  his 
practical  father,  and  taught  to  face  emergencies 
coolly  and  calmly.  Young  as  he  was,  he  had 
learned  to  stop  and  think  "  What  is  the  best  thing 
to  be  done  ? "  and  then  to  do  it  promptly  to  the  veiy 
best  of  his  ability.  It  does  not  take  long  to  think. 

182 


CROSS/NG  THE  ALLEGHANIES.  183 

If  the  brain  is  clear  and  steady,  a  great  many 
thoughts  can  flash  through  it  in  a  second  ;  and  one 
moment  thus  spent  is  worth  a  lifetime  of  thoughtless 
action. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  claim  that  Arthur  had  not 
been  frightened  on  this  occasion.  He  had  never 
been  so  frightened  in  his  life,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  he  never  will  be  again ;  but  he  was  too  brave 
a  boy  to  allow  his  fright  to  obtain  control  of  him. 
Now  that  the  time  for  being  cool  and  calm,  and  for 
prompt  action,  had  passed,  he  felt  weak  and  faint, 
and  was  very  glad  to  be  picked  up  and  borne 
tenderly  back  to  the  caboose,  in  Conductor  Tobin's 
strong  arms.  There  Uncle  Phin  was  waiting  to 
throw  his  arms  about  his  "lil  Marse,"  and  to  "tank 
de  good  Lawd "  for  letting  him  be  the  brave, 
splendid  boy  that  he  was. 

The  runaway  caboose  was  hauled  up  to  where  the 
rest  of  its  train  was  waiting  on  the  siding  for  it,  and 
the  "  Keystone  Express  "  followed  slowly.  Here  it 
stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  while  its  engineer  and 
conductor,  and  the  conductors  of  the  sleeping-cars, 
all  crowded  into  the  caboose  to  see  and  shake  hands 
with  the  boy  who  had  saved  their  lives,  and  to 


1 84  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

thank  him  with  trembling  voices.  They  wanted 
Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  and  Rusty  to  go  with  them, 
and  travel,  surrounded  by  every  comfort  and  luxury 
that  their  train  could  afford;  but  Arthur  said  he 
would  rather  stay  where  he  was.  This  decision 
made  Conductor  Tobin  and  Brakeman  Joe  very 
happy,  for  they  were  so  proud  of  their  young 
"railroad  man,"  as  they  called  him,  that  they  could 
not  bear  the  thought  of  parting  with  him. 

So,  with  many  a  full-hearted  "  God  bless  you  ! " 
and  "  We  '11  not  forget  you  in  a  hurry,"  the  train 
men  of  the  "  Keystone  Express  "  went  back  to  their 
places,  and  it  rolled  away  over  the  mountains,  with 
out  its  sleeping  passengers  being  any  the  wiser  for 
what  had  happened.  Nor  did  they  ever  know  of 
the  danger  they  had  escaped ;  for  passengers  on 
railway  trains  are  never  told,  if  it  can  be  helped,  of 
their  narrow  escapes  from  accidents.  It  might  make 
them  timid  about  riding  in  the  cars. 

Only  one  passenger  knew.  He  was  an  elderly 
gentleman,  who,  unable  to  sleep,  had  been  lying  in 
a  lower  berth,  gazing  out  into  the  darkness  through 
his  uncurtained  window.  He  knew  of  the  sudden 
and  unusual  stopping  of  the  train,  had  seen  the 
swinging  lanterns,  and  had  noticed  the  engineer  and 


CROSSING  THE   ALLEGHAN1ES.  185 

conductors  of  his  own  train  crowding  into  the 
caboose  of  Freight  No.  15.  When  the  express  was 
once  more  in  motion,  he  called  the  porter  of  the 
sleeping-car,  and  made  him  tell  all  he  knew  of  what 
had  taken  place. 

When  the  story  was  finished,  the  elderly  gentle 
man  sighed  regretfully,  and  said  he  wished  he  had 
known  of  it  in  time  to  go  and  see  that  boy  for  him 
self.  He  had  no  boys  of  his  own,  and  had  never 
cared  much  for  them  ;  but  recent  circumstances  had 
caused  him  to  change  his  mind,  and  long  for  one. 
He  had  even  come  to  regard  all  boys  with  interest, 
and  now  wished  he  might  have  known  the  brave 
little  fellow  whose  courage  and  promptness  of  action 
had,  in  all  probability,  saved  his  life. 

After  the  express  had  passed  on,  and  Freight  No. 
15  was  again  pounding  heavily  along  over  the  steel 
rails,  Conductor  Tobin  and  Brakeman  Joe  sat  by 
the  little  caboose  stove  and  talked  over  the  events 
of  the  past  half  hour.  Arthur  lay  quietly  on  the 
blanket-covered  bench,  with  Rusty  curled  up  at  his 
feet,  and  Uncle  Phiu,  sitting  close  beside  him,  held 
one  of  his  hands,  as  though  fearful  of  losing  him. 

The  two  men  told  each  other  what  a  wonderful 
thing  it  was  that  these  stowaways  had  chosen  their 


1 86  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

particular  train,  and  how  thankful  they  were  that 
they  had  not  left  them  at  Arden,  as  they  at  first 
intended.  They  could  not  tire  of  praising  the  boy 
for  remembering  what  they  had  just  taught  him, 
and  for  being  so  ready  to  act  upon  it.  They  praised 
Uncle  Phin,  too,  for  his  share  of  the  night's  work, 
and  even  little  Rusty  was  petted  and  praised  for 
barking  to  wake  Arthur  when  the  caboose  broke 
loose. 

Brakeman  Joe  said  that  the  boy  was  so  evidently 
cut  out  for  a  railroad  man  that  it  would  be  a  pity  if 
he  should  ever  try  to  become  anything  else.  He 
even  went  so  far  as  to  offer  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin 
a  home  with  his  old  father,  promising  to  teach  the 
former  all  he  knew  of  railroading,  and  to  get  him  a 
place  as  water-boy  on  a  passenger  train. 

Arthur  gratefully  declined  this  offer,  and  said  he 
thought  they  had  better  keep  on  with  their  jour 
ney  to  the  home  in  which  he  belonged.  At  the  same 
time  a  genuine  love  for  railroads  and  everything  con 
nected  with  them,  even  including  their  dangers,  had 
entered  his  heart  that  night,  and  he  determined  that 
some  day  he  would  not  only  be  a  railroad  man,  but 
a  famous  one. 


CROSSING  THE   ALLEGHANIES.  l8/ 

They  had  now  passed  the  summit  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  and  day  was  dawning.  As  the  night  mists 
rolled  away,  and  the  magnificent  panorama  of 
mountain,  hill,  and  valley  began  to  unfold  beneath 
them,  Arthur  climbed  up  into  the  cupola  to  watch 
it.  He  had  never  witnessed  so  glorious  a  sunrise  as 
that  now  flashed  back  by  the  clear  waters  of  the 
Juniata,  which  laughed  and  rippled  beside  the  track. 
As  he  drew  in  long  breaths  of  the  fresh  mountain  air 
and  gazed  on  the  marvellous  beauty  of  the  ever- 
widening  landscape,  the  mere  fact  of  being  alive  and 
able  to  enjoy  it  all  filled  him  with  happiness. 

During  the  morning  Freight  No.  15  rumbled 
heavily  across  the  Susquehanna  River  and  into  the 
beautiful  old  city  of  Harrisburg,  the  proud  capital 
of  one  of  the  greatest  and  wealthiest  States  of  the 
Union.  Here  it  was  turned  over  to  a  new  crew  of 
trainmen,  while  Conductor  Tobin,  Brakeman  Joe, 
and  the  others  who  had  brought  it  thus  far  were  at 
liberty  to  seek  their  homes  and  a  well-earned  rest. 

Conductor  Tobin  insisted  upon  taking  our  travel 
lers  home  with  him,  and,  though  Brakeman  Joe 
would  gladly  have  had  them  as  his  guests,  he  was 
obliged  to  yield  to  the  claims  of  his  superior  officer. 


1 88  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

So  they  all  went  to  the  neat  little  cottage,  not  far 
from  the  railroad,  where,  when  warm-hearted  Mrs. 
Tobin  learned  from  her  husband  what  Arthur  and 
Uncle  Phin  and  Rusty  had  done,  she  took  the  boy  at 
once  into  her  arms  and  heart,  and  shook  hands  with 
the  old  negro,  and  petted  the  dog,  and  said  that  her 
house  was  honored  by  having  such  distinguished 
guests  under  its  roof.  Then  she  prepared  an  extra 
fine  dinner  for  the  occasion,  and  even  little  Rusty  was 
allowed  to  sit  at  the  table  and  have  his  share  of  it, 
"  just  like  folks,"  as  Mrs.  Tobin  said. 

After  dinner  Arthur  won  Kitty's  heart  by  reading 
stories  to  her  out  of  his  precious  book,  and  Uncle 
Phin  won  it  by  carving  toys  out  of  bits  of  soft  pine 
with  his  jack-knife,  and  Rusty  won  it  by  performing 
all  his  tricks  and  playing  with  her. 

That  evening  Conductor  Tobin  produced  a  rail 
road  folder  that  contained  a  map.  On  this  they 
traced  out  the  course  of  the  journey  yet  to  be  under 
taken  to  the  point  on  the  James  River  not  far  from 
Richmond,  Virginia,  where  Uncle  Phin  said  Dale- 
court  was  located.  When  their  route  had  been  care 
fully  marked  in  red  ink  the  map  was  entrusted  to 
Arthur  for  their  future  guidance. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  BRAVE  STRUGGLE  WITH  POVERTY. 

THE  following  day  Conductor  Tobin  introduced 
his  guests  to  a  freight  conductor  on  the 
Northern  Central  road,  who,  when  he  had  heard 
their  story,  willingly  consented  to  carry  them  on  his 
train,  which  was  to  go  out  that  night,  as  far  as 
Baltimore. 

This  he  did ;  and  when  they  got  there,  they  had 
not  spent  one  cent  of  the  money  with  which  they 
had  left  Pittsburgh,  and  yet  they  had  accomplished 
two  thirds  of  their  journey. 

As  the  weather  was  pleasant,  they  decided  to  walk 
from  Baltimore,  at  least  as  far  as  Washington.  So 
the  Northern  Central  conductor  set  them  down  at  a 
small  station  just  outside  the  city  limits  of  Balti 
more.  Then,  after  pointing  out  the  direction  they 
were  to  take,  he  bade  them  good-by,  and  left  them  to 

189 


IQO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

pursue  their  journey  on  foot,  with  light  hearts  and  a 
firm  faith  that  they  would  speedily  accomplish  it. 

From  the  very  outset  of  this  walk  Arthur  began 
to  realize  the  value  of  the  information  given  him 
long  before,  in  the  tramps'  camp  on  the  Alleghany, 
regarding  their  peculiar  signs,  as  inscribed  on  fences 
and  gate-posts.  While  he  and  Uncle  Phin  had  some 
money,  it  was  so  very  little  for  the  long  journey  still 
ahead  of  them,  that  they  must  use  every  means  pos 
sible  to  save  it.  They  did  not  expect  to  live  at  first- 
class  hotels  during  their  travels,  or  even  in  cheap 
lodging-houses.  They  only  hoped  to  obtain  permis 
sion  to  sleep  in  barns,  or  under  haystacks  if  nothing 
better  offered,  and  to  buy  their  food  of  such  farmers' 
wives  as  would  let  them  have  what  was  left  over 
from  their  own  tables. 

Therefore  it  became  very  important  for  them  to 
know  who  were  the  liberal,  good-natured  people 
along  their  route,  and  which  were  the  ones  from 
whose  doors  they  would  be  chased  away  by  dogs,  or 
threatened  with  shot-guns.  To  discover  this  Arthur 
kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  signs  by  the  roadside. 

It  was  surprising,  now  that  he  began  to  look  for 
them,  and  to  discover  for  himself  where  to  look,  how 


A   BRAVE   STRUGGLE   WITH  POVERTY.  19! 

many  lie  found.  There  was  hardly  a  dwelling  along 
the  way  but  what  had  the  character  of  its  inmates 
denoted  by  rude  chalk  marks  on  some  conspicuous 
object  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  So  by  applying 
only  at  the  houses  whose  signs  were  favorable,  they 
got  along  very  nicely  for  three  days.  They  were 
allowed  to  sleep  in  comfortable  barns  each  night,  and 
had  several  meals  given  to  them  without  charge, 
though  they  always  offered  to  pay  for  what  they 
received.  Thus,  on  the  fourth  day,  when  they 
expected  to  reach  Washington,  they  had  spent  but 
one  dollar  of  their  little  store. 

As  neither  of  them  was  used  to  walking,  and  as  to 
Uncle  Phin's  rheumatic  stiffness  of  limb  was  now 
added  a  severe  pain  in  the  knee  that  had  been  injured 
by  falling  on  the  platform  at  Arden,  their  progress 
was  very  slow.  It  was  so  slow,  in  fact,  that  Arthur 
began  to  despair  of  ever  completing  their  long 
journey  on  foot,  and  to  wonder  if  no  other  means 
of  travel  could  be  found. 

He  was  so  busily  thinking  over  the  several  plans 
that  proposed  themselves,  on  the  evening  of  that 
fourth  day,  that  he  hardly  paid  any  attention  to  the 
great  white  dome  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington  that, 


192  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

looming  high  above  the  city,  marked  the  end  of  this 
stage  of  their  journey.  Nor  did  he  pay  much  atten 
tion  to  the  black  clouds  gathering  overhead,  until 
Uncle  Phin,  who  was  hobbling  painfully  along  beside 
him,  said  :  "  We  'se  er  gwine  hab  a  storm,  Honey,  an 
I  spec  hits  comiu  down  rambumptious."  As  he  spoke 
there  came  a  wild  gust  of  wind  accompanied  by  a 
flurry  of  rain. 

They  were  on  such  a  lonely  stretch  of  road  that 
there  was  no  house  in  sight,  and  only  a  haystack  in  a 
neighboring  field  offered  the  slightest  shelter.  So 
they  hurried  to  it,  and  burrowing  under  its  leeward 
side,  found  there  comparative  protection  from  the 
storm,  which  they  hoped  would  be  of  short  duration. 

But  it  lasted  all  night,  with  the  wind  shifting  and 
blowing  from  every  quarter;  so  that,  after  long 
hours  of  sleepless  misery,  the  gray  dawn  found  them 
soaked  to  the  skin  by  the  pitiless  rain,  faint  with 
hunger,  and  shivering  with  cold. 

With  the  first  daylight  they  tried  to  move  on  in 
search  of  a  house;  but  when  poor  Uncle  Phin 
attempted  to  rise  from  his  cramped  position,  he  sank 
back  with  a  groan.  His  injured  knee  had  swollen 
and  stiffened  during  the  night,  so  that  every  effort 


A   BRAVE   STRUGGLE  WITH  POVERTY.  193 

to  move  it  now  gave  him  excruciating  pain.  He  was 
entirely  helpless ;  and  the  twelve-year-old  boy,  upon 
whom  this  new  responsibility  had  so  suddenly  fallen, 
was,  for  a  few  moments,  overwhelmed  by  it.  Then 
he  rallied  bravely,  and,  saying,  "  I  am  going  for 
help,  Uncle  Phin,  but  I  '11  be  back  just  as  quick  as 
I  can,"  he  started  on  a  run  across  the  sodden  field, 
toward  the  road. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  he  returned  with  a  team 
that  he  had  discovered  on  its  way  to  the  city.  Its 
driver  agreed  to  take  them  as  far  as  he  went  for 
two  dollars,  which  sum  Arthur  gladly  promised 
him.  He  would  have  given  everything  he  pos 
sessed,  and  even  willingly  have  resigned  his  pros 
pects  of  finding  a  home,  for  the  sake  of  getting  his 
dear  old  friend  to  some  shelter  in  which  he  could 
have  warmth  and  food. 

With  great  difficulty  they  got  Uncle  Phin  into 
the  wagon,  where  he  lay  with  his  head  in  Arthur's 
lap.  Two  hours  later  they  were  established  in  an 
humble  negro  boarding-house,  to  which  the  driver 
of  the  wagon  had  taken  them.  Here  they  could 
have  a  small  but  neat  and  well- warmed  room  for  a 
dollar  a  week,  payable  in  advance. 


194  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Procuring  a  cup  of  hot  tea  and  some  broth  for 
Uncle  Phin,  besides  food  for  himself  and  Rusty, 
completely  exhausted  Arthur's  slender  stock  of 
money.  So,  when  he  had  got  Uncle  Phin  to  bed,  and 
seen  that  he  was  as  comfortable  as  possible,  the 
brave,  tired  little  fellow  started  out  into  the  strange 
city  to  try  and  earn  some  more. 

That  day  he  made  twenty-five  cents,  by  holding  a 
horse  for  several  hours,  while  its  rider  was  attending 
to  some  business  in  one  of  the  public  buildings. 
Then,  for  several  days,  his  fortunes  fluctuated ;  on 
one  of  them  he  made  a  whole  dollar  by  running 
errands,  holding  horses,  carrying  parcels  for  ladies 
who  were  shopping,  and  by  doing,  cheerfully  and 
faithfully,  from  morning  to  night,  everything  that 
offered,  no  matter  how  hard  or  disagreeable  it  was. 
On  other  days  he  made  nothing. 

At  length  a  piece  of  good  fortune  befell  him.  The 
holiday  season  was  drawing  near,  and  the  business 
of  the  retail  stores  was  greatly  increased.  The  pro 
prietor  of  one  of  them,  who  had  noticed  this  cheerful 
little  errand-boy  waiting  for  odd  jobs  in  front  of  his 
store,  finally  offered  him  regular  work,  for  a  few 
weeks,  at  fifty  cents  a  day.  For  this  he  was  always 


A   BRAVE   STRUGGLE  WITH  POVERTY.  195 

to  be  on  hand  to  open  the  doors  of  carriages,  carry 
parcels  for  shoppers  to  the  horse-cars,  and  make  him 
self  generally  useful  outside  the  store. 

In  the  meantime,  poor  Uncle  Phin,  stricken  with 
rheumatic  fever,  lay  suffering  and  groaning  in  his 
bed  through  the  long,  lonely  days  of  several  weeks, 
before  he  was  again  able  to  hobble  about. 

During  these  weeks  of  toil,  suffering,  and  anxiety, 
little  Rusty  was  Arthur's  constant  companion  and 
sole  comforter,  and  the  boy  grew  to  love  him  better 
than  anything  on  earth,  except  Uncle  Phin.  In 
going  to  and  fro  from  his  work  each  day,  he  passed 
a  certain  house,  in  which  lived  a  gentleman  who  was 
veiy  fond  of  dogs.  This  gentleman  noticed  Rusty, 
and  took  such  a  fancy  to  him  that  he  several  times 
offered  to  buy  him.  Arthur  steadily  refused  these 
offers,  until  at  length,  when  Christmas  was  past,  and 
there  was  no  more  work  for  him  at  the  store.  Then 
he  went  to  the  gentleman's  house,  and  trying  to 
speak  bravely,  but  with  quivering  lips  and  tear- 
filled  eyes,  told  him  he  might  have  the  dear  little 
dog  for  two  tickets  to  Richmond. 

Uncle  Phin  was  again  able  to  travel,  and  intensely 
anxious  to  continue  their  journey,  so  as  to  reach  hi? 


IQ6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

old  home  "  befo  de  dawn  ob  de  New  Yeah."  Ar 
thur's  travels  had  taught  him  that  railroad  tickets 
cost  money ;  but  with  all  his  efforts  and  self-denials, 
he  had  been  unable  to  save  anything  from  his  scanty 
earnings.  So,  for  Uncle  Phin's  sake,  he  finally  de 
cided  to  sacrifice  his  dear  Rusty,  if  by  so  doing  he 
could  obtain  the  means  of  getting  to  Richmond. 

The  gentleman  gladly,  and  without  asking  any 
questions,  accepted  this  strange  offer,  and  sent  a 
servant  to  procure  the  required  tickets.  Then  the 
poor  little  fellow,  after  giving  Rusty  a  long  parting 
hug,  ran  home,  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  a  suspicious 
moisture  glistening  in  his  eyes. 

The  next  day  they  travelled  in  the  cars  to  Rich 
mond,  and  the  mere  knowledge  that  he  was  once 
more  in  old  Virginia,  seemed  to  infuse  new  life  into 
Uncle  Phin.  Without  a  moment's  delay,  they  started 
to  walk  the  ten  miles  of  rough,  frozen  road  that  lay 
between  the  city  and  Dalecourt. 

The  old  man's  strength  lasted  wonderfully,  but  it 
gave  out  when  they  were  still  two  miles  from  their 
destination ;  and,  tottering  to  the  doorway  of  a 
dilapidated  and  deserted  cabin,  that  stood  on  the 
roadside,  he  declared  that  he  could  go  no  farther, 


A   BRAVE   STRUGGLE   WITH  POVERTY.  197 

and  begged  his  boy  companion  to  go  on  without 
him. 

To  this  Arthur  would  not  listen  for  a  moment ; 
but,  helping  the  old  man  into  the  cabin,  he  declared 
they  could  rest  there  very  comfortably  until  morn 
ing.  Then  he  gathered  a  quantity  of  sticks,  broken 
branches,  and  small  logs,  which  he  piled  in  the  big 
fireplace  that  filled  one  end  of  the  cabin's  single 
room.  He  had  just  one  match,  but  it  did  its  duty, 
and  soon  a  cheerful  blaze  was  roaring  up  the  old 
earthen  chimney. 

Grateful  for  its  warmth,  and  for  even  this  poor 
shelter,  they  prepared  to  pass,  as  best  they  might  in 
this  lonely  place,  the  last  night  of  the  old  year. 
There  were  no  doors  or  windows  to  the  cabin,  so 
that  everything  they  did  might  be  plainly  seen 
by  any  chance  passers  along  that  wintry  road. 

Arthur  still  had  his  book  of  fairy  tales  ;  and,  as 
darkness  set  in,  the  old  man  begged  him  to  read 
"  jes  one  lilly  story  "  from  it,  to  help  them  forget 
their  wretchedness.  So,  sitting  in  the  brightest 
glow  of  the  firelight,  the  boy  bent  his  brave,  care 
worn  young  face  over  the  pages,  and  read  the 
touching  story  of  "  The  Little  Match-Girl." 


IQ8  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Her  situation  and  theirs  were  so  much  alike,  that 
the  story  seemed  very  real  to  him;  and  as  he 
started  at  the  sound  of  a  rustle  behind  him  just  as 
he  closed  the  book,  he  looked  up,  almost  expecting 
to  see  some  beautiful  vision.  Nor  was  he  disap 
pointed.  A  dainty,  richly-clad  figure  stood  in  the 
doorway.  As  the  boy  lifted  his  eyes  he  uttered  a 
cry  of  mingled  fear,  amazement,  and  joy.  The  face 
into  which  he  was  looking  was  that  of  the  beautiful 
lady  who  had  given  him  this  precious  book,  and 
who  had  written  in  it  "  To  Prince  Dusty,  from  his 
Fairy  Godmother." 


THE  FAIRY   GODMOTHER  FINDS  PRINCE  DUSTY.      (Page  198.) 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

FINDING    A    HOME. 

BEFORE  Arthur  could  recover  in  the  slightest 
from  his  bewilderment  at  this  wonderful  and 
undreamed-of  appearance  of  his  beautiful  lady  in 
such  a  place,  she  stepped  forward  and  caught  him 
in  her  arms.  "  Oh,  my  little  Prince  Dusty  !  My 
dear  little  Prince  Dusty  !  "  she  cried.  "  Where  have 
you  been  ?  How  did  you  get  here  ?  Do  you  know 
that  I  am  your  cousin  ?  Your  own  cousin,  Harriet 
Dale,  and  that  I  live  at  Dalecourt  ?  I  never  was  so 
utterly  amazed  in  my  life  as  I  am  to  find  you  here  ! 
We  knew  that  you  had  left  the  Dustins ;  but  nobody 
could  tell  where,  or  how,  you  had  gone.  And  to 
think  that  you  should  have  come  to  Dalecourt !  I 
don't  see  how  you  ever  found  the  way !  It  is  the 
very  most  wonderful  thing  I  ever  heard  of !  How 
did  you  get  here  ?  But,  no  matter  now.  How 

199 


2OO  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

thoughtless  I  am  to  stand  here  asking  all  these 
questions.  You  look  frozen  and  starved,  poor  child, 
and  the  first  thing  is  to  get  you  home  as  quickly  as 
possible.  Who  is  this  with  you  ?  Not  Uncle  Phin  ! 
Surely  not  the  Uncle  Phin  who  used  to  be  so  good 
to  me  when  I  was  a  little  girl  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Hatty,"  answered  the  old  man,  who 
had  scrambled  stiffly  to  his  feet  upon  her  entrance, 
and  now  stood  with  his  white'  head  uncovered, 
laughing  and  crying  at  the  same  time.  "  Hit  am  de 
same  ole  Unc  Phin,  an  he  tank  de  good  Lawd  he  is 
lib  to  see  a  shuah  nough  Dale  once  mo.  He  done 
bring  lil  Marse  home,  Miss  Hatty.  Hits  been  power 
ful  hard  wuk ;  but  de  Lawd  done  sen  He  rabens, 
an  He  fiery  chariots,  an  He  pillows  ob  smoke,  an  now 
He  done  sen  you  Miss  Hatty,  like  a  bressed  angel, 
fur  to  delibber  us." 

"  He  has  indeed  been  very  good  to  us,"  said  the 
young  lady,  gently.  "  Now  we  must  get  this  dear 
child  home  at  once." 

The  carriage  in  which  Miss  Hatty  was  driving 
home  from  Richmond,  when  her  curiosity  was 
attracted  by  the  strange  scene  in  the  little  old 
cabin,  was  now  brought  to  the  door.  Uncle  Phin, 


FINDING  A    HOME,  2OI 

feebly  protesting  that  it  was  all  too  fine  and  too 
grand  for  a  "  wuffless  ole  niggah  "  like  him,  was  made 
to  take  the  front  seat ;  while  on  the  other  sat  Miss 
Harriet  Dale,  with  ragged,  tired,  hungry,  but  in 
tensely  happy  Arthur  nestled  close  beside  her. 

The  perplexing  tumult  of  his  feelings  was  such 
that,  up  to  this  time,  he  had  not  spoken  a  word ;  and 
even  now  he  wondered  if  it  were  not  all  a  beautiful 
dream,  from  which  he  would  awake  to  find  himself 
lying  on  the  floor  of  the  cabin.  It  seemed  as  though 
his  own  dear  mother  must  have  come  back  ;  that  it 
was  her  loving  arm  now  thrown  protectingly  about 
him,  and  he  almost  feared  to  speak,  lest  she  might 
disappear,  as  she  always  did  when  he  waked  from 
dreaming  of  her.  But  the  beautiful  lady  was  talk 
ing  to  him  and  asking  him  questions. 

She  could  not  wait  until  they  reached  home  to 
learn  how  these  two  had  wandered  from  the  far 
away  place  in  which  she  had  met  her  "  Prince 
Dusty,"  to  this  one.  It  was  such  a  wonderfiil 
journey  for  them  to  have  undertaken,  that  her  im 
patience  to  know  something  of  it  could  not  be  re 
strained.  So  she  asked  question  after  question,  that 
Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  answered  to  the  best  of 


2O2  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

their  ability,  until  at  length  she  knew  enough  of 
the  principal  events  of  their  pilgrimage  to  make  it 
seem  marvellous  that  they  should  ever  have  accom 
plished  it. 

Among  other  things  she  learned  of  their  experi 
ence  in  the  runaway  caboose  of  freight  train  No.  15, 
in  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  this  seemed  to 
interest  her  more  than  all  the  rest. 

Then  she  wanted  to  know  if  the  book  from  which 
Arthur  had  been  reading  to  Uncle  Phiu,  and  which 
he  now  carried  clasped  tightly  in  both  hands,  could 
be  the  same  that  she  had  given  him  so  long  ago,  and 
how  he  had  been  able  to  keep  it  all  this  time. 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  answered  Arthur,  "  and  of  course 
I  have  kept  it.  It  is  the  very  most  precious  thing  I 
own  in  the  world ;  and  nothing  but  beautiful  things, 
just  like  its  stories,  have  happened  ever  since  you 
gave  it  to  me.  I  had  to  let  Rusty  go  to  get  us  here ; 
but  I  would  never,  never,  have  let  my  book  go,  not 
even  if  we  had  been  starving." 

Then  Miss  Hatty  had  to  be  told  who  Rusty  was, 
and  what  a  dear  dog  he  was,  and  how  hard  it  had 
been  to  part  with  him,  and  how  Arthur  hoped  there 
would  be  some  horses  for  him  to  hold  at  Dalecourt, 


FINDING  A   HOME,  2O3 

or  errands  to  be  run,  so  that  he  could  earn  money 
enough  to  buy  him  back  again. 

It  was  too  dark  for  them  to  see  anything  of  the 
Park,  once  so  carefully  kept,  but  now  neglected  and 
overgrown,  through  which  they  drove  for  half  a  mile 
after  turning  in  at  the  Dalecourt  gateway ;  but 
Arthur  felt  a  thrill  of  happiness  when  his  cousin 
told  him  where  they  were.  It  seemed  incredible 
that  his  long,  weaiy  journey,  with  all  its  hunger  and 
cold  and  suffering,  was  past,  and  that  he  was  really 
at  the  home  he  had  so  longed  to  reach.  How  beauti 
ful  it  was  to  be  welcomed  so  warmly  and  lovingly, 
when  he  had  sometimes  feared  they  might  not  even 
receive  him  at  all. 

At  length  the  carriage  stopped  before  a  great 
rambling  house,  that  had  been  very  stately  and 
handsome  in  bygone  years ;  but  which  was  now  so 
dilapidated  and  shabby  as  to  be  but  a  forlorn  relic 
of  its  former  glory.  However,  it  still  contained 
much  of  comfort  and  good  cheer ;  and,  as  the  great 
front  door  was  flung  open,  the  warm  glow  of  a  huge 
log  fire  sprang  out  upon  the  cold  darkness,  and 
drove  it  back.  It  seemed  to  Arthur  as  though  the 
very  house  offered  him  a  welcome  of  light  and 
warmth,  and  he  loved  it  from  that  moment. 


2O4  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

From  the  open  doorway  stepped  an  elderly  gentle 
man,  with  iron-gray  hair  and  mustache,  and  an  erect 
military  bearing,  who  called  out : 

"  Welcome  home,  Niece  Harriet !  We  Ve  had 
lonely  holidays  without  you ;  and  right  glad  am  I 
to  have  you  back  again." 

"  No  more  so  than  I  am  to  be  here,  uncle ! "  ex 
claimed  Miss  Hatty,  springing  lightly  from  the  car 
riage  and  heartily  kissing  the  elderly  gentleman, 
who  was  Colonel  Arthur  Dale,  of  Dalecourt,  and 
Arthur's  grandfather.  "And,  uncle,  I  Ve  brought 
home  a  friend  of  yours,  whom  I  picked  up  on  the 
road.  He  is  the  very  boy  you  were  speaking  of  so 
recently,  who  saved  your  train,  in  the  Alleghanies, 
from  a  collision." 

"  Eh  !  what 's  that  ? "  cried  Colonel  Dale.  "  You 
have  found  that  boy  ?  How  in  the  name  of  good 
ness — But  bring  him  in !  Bring  him  in  where  we 
can  have  a  look  at  him.  It  's  too  cold  to  stand  out 
here  any  longer." 

So  the  young  lady  followed  her  uncle  into  the 
glowing  hall,  leading  Arthur  by  the  hand,  while 
Uncle  Phin  hobbled  after  them.  The  boy's  mind 
was  filled  with  a  whirl  of  conflicting  emotions,  as  he 


FINDING  A   HOME.  2O$ 

stepped,  for  the  first  time,  across  the  threshold  of 
his  mother's  home,  and  gazed  on  the  form  of  his 
nearest  living  relative.  Had  he  tried  to  speak  at 
that  moment  his  feelings  would  have  choked  him ; 
but  he  gave  no  outward  sign  of  his  mental  con 
dition,  except  by  clasping  more  firmly  the  kind  hand 
that  led  him  forward. 

When  fairly  within  the  circle  of  ruddy  firelight, 
that  filled  the  oak-panelled  interior  with  its  cheery 
glow,  Colonel  Dale  turned  for  a  look  at  the  stranger 
whom  his  niece  had  so  curiously  discovered  and 
brought  home  with  her.  As  his  glance  fell  on  the 
ragged  little  figure  at  her  side,  the  words  that  were 
upon  his  lips  died  away,  a  sudden  pallor  overspread 
his  countenance,  and  he  gazed  in  silence. 

What  did  he  see  in  that  sweet  face,  now  so  thin 
and  careworn  ?  In  its  brave  blue  eyes  ?  In  the  fair 
head  of  clustering  ringlets  ?  What  was  it  that,  for  a 
moment,  rendered  him  speechless  and  powerless  to 
do  aught  save  stare  ?  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  saw 
a  spirit. 

"  Who  is  he,  Harriet  ? "  he  almost  gasped,  at 
length.  "  Where  did  you  find  him  ?  He  is  the  liv 
ing  image  of  my  dead  daughter  ? " 


2O6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

* 

"  He  is  that  dead  daughter's  child,  uncle.  He  is 
your  own  grandson  Arthur,  and  my  little  'Prince 
Dusty,' "  was  the  answer. 

The  next  instant  the  boy  was  clasped  in  a  loving, 
forgiving,  all-atoning  embrace,  and  had  found  a  place 
in  his  grandfather's  heart,  that  he  would  never  re 
sign  so  long  as  life  lasted. 


CHAPTER  XXVT. 

COLONEL    DALE    OF    DALECOURT. 

IT  is  hardly  possible  to  describe  the  joy  that 
reigned  in  Dalecourt  on  that  last  night  of  the 
year.  Colonel  Dale  and  Miss  Hatty,  and  Mrs.  Allen 
Dale,  her  mother,  all  asked  Arthur  questions  at 
once;  and  petted,  and  fed,  and  pitied,  and  praised 
him,  until  the  poor,  tired,  happy  little  fellow,  worn 
out  with  excitement,  could  no  longer  keep  his  eyes 
open,  and  was  carried  off  to  bed.  Nor  would  it  be 
possible  to  convey  any  idea  of  what  a  hero  dear  old 
Uncle  Phin  became  in  the  eyes  of  the  dusky  assem 
bly,  who  thronged  the  kitchen,  to  see  him  eat  his 
much  needed  supper,  and  to  hear  of  his  marvellous 
adventures  while  bringing  the  "  lil  Marse  "  to  his 
own  home.  All  these  things  can  be  imagined  a 
great  deal  better  than  they  can  be  described.  At 

the  same  time  it  does  seem  to  be  necessary  to  tell 

207 


208  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

something  about  the  Dales  and  Dalecourt,  and  how 
Colonel  Dale's  niece,  Miss  Harriet,  happened  to  be 
the  same  beautiful  lady  who  presented  Arthur  with 
an  illustrated  copy  of  Andersen's  "  Fairy  Tales,"  in 
the  oil  region  of  Pennsylvania,  some  months  before 
that  happy  New  Year's  Eve. 

She  was  the  only  daughter  of  Colonel  Dale's 
youngest  brother  Allen,  and  was  therefore  own 
cousin  to  Arthur's  mother.  At  the  death  of  her 
father,  who  left  them  penniless,  she  and  her  mother 
went  to  Dalecourt  to  live,  and  to  keep  house  for 
her  lonely  uncle. 

One  of  the  very  dearest  of  Miss  Hatty's  school 
friends  lived  in  the  oil  region  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
during  the  previous  summer  she  paid  this  friend  a 
visit.  It  was  at  the  conclusion  of  this  visit,  and 
while  driving  from  her  friend's  house  to  the  distant 
railway  station,  that  she  encountered  Arthur  and 
little  Cynthia,  just  as  their  search  for  adventures 
had  led  them  into  trouble. 

With  her  first  glance  at  the  boy's  face  she  was 
struck  by  a  certain  familiar  expression  in  it,  and 
when  he  told  her  his  name  she  wondered  if  he  might 
not  be  her  little  cousin  whom  she  had  never  seen. 


COLONEL    DALE    OF  DALECOURT.  2CX) 

She  was  not  quite  sure  of  the  Dustin  part  of  his 
name,  as  it  was  never  allowed  to  be  mentioned  at 
Dalecourt,  so  she  decided  to  wait  until  she  could 
make  further  inquiries  before  claiming  the  relation 
ship. 

As  she  had  barely  time  to  reach  the  railway  station 
and  catch  her  train,  she  was  not  able  to  pursue  these 
inquiries  just  then.  She,  however,  bade  the  coach 
man  find  out  what  he  could  about  the  Dustins,  and 
also  wrote  to  her  friend  for  what  information  she  could 
obtain  concerning  the  child,  in  whom  she  had  become 
so  greatly  interested.  From  her  mother  she  learned 
that  Dustin  was  the  name  of  the  young  Northerner 
whom  her  cousin  Virginia  had  married ;  and  when 
she  received  an  answer  to  her  letter,  it  assured  her 
that  she  had  discovered,  in  that  far-away  region,  her 
uncle's  only  grandson. 

Now  came  what  she  feared  would  prove  the  most 
difficult  part  of  her  task.  Colonel  Dale  had  forbid 
den  the  name  of  Dustin  to  be  mentioned  in  his  house, 
nor  had  Miss  Hatty  ever  heard  him  speak  as  though 
aware  that  he  had  a  grandson  living.  She  at  first 
tried  to  approach  the  subject  cautiously,  but  finding 

that  she  was  liable  to  be  misunderstood,  she  at  length 
14 


210  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

told  her  uncle  frankly  all  that  she  knew  and  suspected. 
To  her  great  surprise  he  listened  to  her  willingly  and 
with  an  eager  interest. 

Colonel  Arthur  Dale  had  been  a  very  selfish  man, 
though  he  called  his  selfishness  "  family  pride."  He 
had  also  been  a  very  self-willed  one,  though  this  he 
would  have  said  indicated  strength  of  character. 

Of  late  years,  however,  both  of  these  faults  had 
been  dealt  heavy  blows.  The  losing  of  his  beautiful 
daughter  Virginia  was  the  first  blow.  Then  his  wife 
died,  and  then  the  war  came.  It  left  him  a  poor 
man,  with  a  large  but  unproductive  estate  on  his 
hands,  and  no  opportunity,  that  he  could  discover, 
for  going  into  business  and  retrieving  his  shattered 
fortunes. 

Instead  of  hardening  his  nature,  these  trials  soft 
ened  it.  His  pride  was  broken.  He  no  longer 
thought  of  himself  alone.  His  stubbornness  disap 
peared  and  he  longed  for  human  love  and  sympathy. 
His  once  princely  estate  was  now  so  encumbered  by 
mortgages  that  they  promised  soon  completely  to 
overwhelm  it.  It  spite  of  its  owner's  efforts  to  keep 
the  place  in  order,  it  showed  evidences  of  decay  and 
ruin  in  every  direction.  Many  of  the  old  family 


COLONEL  DALE   OF  DALECOURT.  211 

servants  still  clung  to  Dalecourt,  and  the  Colonel 
was  too  kind-hearted  to  turn  them  away.  Thus 
there  was  always  a  large  number  of  mouths  to  feed, 
and  each  year  brought  less  to  feed  them  with. 

Of  late  the  lonely  man  had  thought  much  of  his 
dead  daughter,  and  wondered  if  her  son,  the  grand 
son  whose  existence  he  had  never  openly  acknowl 
edged,  was  still  alive,  and  what  sort  of  a  boy  he  was. 
Thus,  when  his  niece  began  to  speak  to  him  on  this 
very  subject,  he  proved  an  eager  listener  to  all  that 
she  had  to  say. 

"He  is  one  of  the  very  dearest,  sweetest,  and 
bravest  little  fellows  I  ever  saw,"  she  cried  impul 
sively.  "  When  I  met  him  he  was  making  believe  to 
be  a  prince,  and  was  defending  a  child,  younger  than 
himself,  from  what  he  thought  was  the  savage  attack 
of  a  big  dog.  He  was  so  covered  with  dust  when  I 
picked  him  up  out  of  the  road,  that  I  called  him 
'  Prince  Dusty,'  and  the  title  of  '  Prince '  seems 
somehow  exactly  to  suit  him.  Although  he  was 
ragged  and  barefooted,  he  was  every  inch  a  little 
gentleman,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  him  he  was  lifting 
his  tattered  straw  hat  to  me,  as  I  drove  away." 

The  result  of  this  conversation,  and  of  several 


212  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

similar  ones  that  followed  it,  was  that,  toward  the 
end  of  October,  Colonel  Dale  set  out  for  the  oil 
region  of  Pennsylvania,  determined  to  bring  his  dead 
daughter's  child  home  with  him,  and  thereafter  to 
treat  him  as  his  own  son. 

He  had,  by  this  time,  so  set  his  heart  upon  having 
the  boy  to  love  and  to  care  for,  and  had  centred  so 
many  plans  for  the  future  about  him,  that  to  learn, 
from  the  Dustins,  of  Arthur's  absolute  and  mysterious 
disappearance,  was  a  grievous  disappointment,  for 
which  he  was  not  prepared.  He  could  not  believe 
that  the  boy  was  not  still  in  that  vicinity,  and  insisted 
that  a  search  should  be  made  for  him  throughout  all 
the  surrounding  country,  though  the  runaways  had 
been  gone  for  nearly  a  month. 

Colonel  Dale  read  and  re-read  the  rudely  pencilled 
note  that  Arthur  had  left  for  Cynthia,  and  asked  to 
be  allowed  to  keep  it :  but  the  child  would  not  give 
it  up.  It  was  her  most  treasured  possession,  and 
though  he  bribed  her  with  money,  and  candy,  and 
toys,  she  could  not  be  induced  to  part  with  it. 

Brace  Barlow,  the  only  person  who  knew  how 
and  in  what  direction  Arthur  and  Uncle  Phin  had 
gone,  was  in  a  distant  part  of  the  oil  region,  so  that 


COLONEL   DALE   OF  DALECOURT.  21$ 

he  heard  nothing  of  Colonel  Dale's  arrival,  nor  of  the 
eager  search  for  the  little  fellow  who  used  to  call  him 
u  dear  giant." 

Arthur's  grandfather  even  visited  the  farm  that 
had  belonged  to  his  unacknowledged  son-in-law, 
Richard  Dustin,  with  the  faint  hope  that  his  grand 
son  might  have  sought  shelter  there. 

Finally,  after  obtaining  John  Dustin's  promise  to 
telegraph  the  first  bit  of  information  that  he  should 
gain  concerning  the  missing  boy,  and  also  to  relin 
quish  all  claims  upon  him  in  favor  of  the  grand 
father,  the  disappointed  man  turned  his  face  home 
ward.  He  was  not  only  disappointed  at  the 
unexpected  result  of  his  journey ;  but  he  was  as 
heavy-hearted  as  though  death  had  robbed  him  of 
some  loved  one,  and  he  were  now  on  his  way  to  bear 
the  sad  tidings  to  those  who  waited  at  home. 

It  was  such  thoughts  as  these  that  drove  sleep 
from  his  eyes,  while  the  Keystone  express,  on  which 
he  was  a  passenger,  climbed  the  western  slope  of  the 
Alleghanies,  and  barely  escaped  destruction  from  the 
runaway  caboose  of  a  freight  train,  through  the 
prompt  action  of  a  boy.  If  the  sleepless  man  could 
only  have  known  that  this  boy  was  his  own  grand- 


214  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

son,  how  quickly  would  his  sorrow  have  been  changed 
.to  joy  and  pride.  As  it  was,  he  was  filled  with 
admiration  for  the  brave  lad,  merely  from  listening 
to  the  sleeping-car  porter's  imperfect  account  of  the 
affair,  and  wished  he  might  have  seen  and  known 
him. 

When  he  reached  home  he  related  this  incident  to 
his  niece  and  her  mother  as  the  most  thrilling  of  his 
trip,  and  again  regretted  that  he  had  not  made  the 
acquaintance  of  its  hero. 

Now,  the  fact  that  his  grandson  and  this  young 
hero  were  one  and  the  same  boy,  and  that  this  boy 
had  voluntarily  sought  a  home  under  his  roof,  was  a 
continual  source  of  joy  and  pride  to  Colonel  Dale, 
that  he  was  at  no  pains  to  conceal. 

Becomingly  dressed,  well  cared  for,  and,  above  all, 
surrounded  by  an  atmosphere  of  love  and  gentle 
ness,  "Prince  Dusty"  was  now  such  a  handsome, 
merry  little  fellow,  that  he  not  only  completely  won 
the  hearts  of  his  grandfather  and  the  Dalecourt 
household,  but  of  eveiy  one  who  came  in  contact 
with  him. 

Now,  more  bitterly  than  ever,  did  Colonel  Dale 
regret  his  lost  fortune,  and  shrink  from  the  ruin 


COLONEL   DALE   OF  DALECOURT.  21$ 

that,  staring  him  in  the  face,  could  not  much  longer 
be  averted.  The  financial  difficulties  of  the  family 
had  not  been  kept  from  Arthur,  for  he  was  wise  be 
yond  his  years,  and  his  grandfather  thought  it  best 
that  he  should  know  exactly  how  matters  stood  with 
them.  It  was  a  great  grief  to  the  boy  to  see  his 
grandpapa  and  his  Cousin  Hatty,  both  of  whom  he 
had  learned  to  love  dearly,  so  troubled ;  and,  in  his 
wise  young  way,  he  pondered  deeply  over  the 
situation. 

At  last,  one  evening  as  he  was  bidding  them  all 
good-night,  he  said :  "  Grandpapa,  I  think  I  have 
almost  thought  of  a  way  for  us  to  get  a  great  deal  of 
money." 

"  Have  you,  my  boy  ?  "  said  the  colonel.  "  That 's 
good ;  what  is  it  ? " 

"  Well  I  have  n't  quite  thought  it  all  out  yet ;  but 
I  will  finish  thinking  and  tell  you  what  it  is  in  the 
morning,"  replied  the  boy,  smiling  brightly  down 
upon  his  grandfather,  as  he  bounded  up  the  broad 
stairway. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


IT  seemed  so  absurd  that  a  twelve-year-old  boy 
should  be  considering  plans  for  raising  the 
large  sum  of  money  necessary  to  help  Colonel  Dale 
out  of  his  difficulties,  that,  after  Arthur  had  gone  to 
bed,  those  who  were  left  downstairs  found  consid 
erable  amusement  in  wondering  what  his  scheme 
could  be. 

His  grandfather  said  it  would  probably  be  a  prop 
osition  to  form  an  errand-boy  trust ;  while  Mrs. 
Dale  thought  it  would  only  prove  to  be  some 
absurd  idea  concerning  railroad  life,  that  the  boy 
had  picked  up  during  his  recent  travels.  Miss  Har 
riet,  however,  said  that  her  "  Prince  Dusty  "  was 
wiser  than  they  imagined,  and  she  did  not  believe 
he  ever  spoke  seriously,  upon  any  subject,  without 

knowing  pretty  well  what  he  was  saying.     So,  by 

216 


A    "GENUINE   CHUMP"  2 1/ 

talking  the  matter  over,  they  became  greatly  in 
terested,  and  quite  curious  to  hear  what  Arthur 
would  have  to  say  the  next  morning. 

When  they  began  to  question  him  at  breakfast 
time  he  gravely  answered  that  he  had  heard  his 
papa  say  that  the  breakfast-table  was  not  the  proper 
place  to  discuss  business  affairs.  The  seriousness 
with  which  this  speech  was  uttered,  caused  a  gen 
eral  smile,  and  as  Colonel  Dale  had  been  heard 
to  make  the  very  same  remark,  no  objections  could 
be  raised  against  it. 

After  breakfast  the  little  fellow  invited  his  grand 
father  to  accompany  him  into  the  library,  where  he 
proceeded  to  unfold  his  plan.  It  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  that  they  should  go  back  to  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  sink  a  well,  for  oil,  on  the  farm  that  his 
father  had  left  him. 

For  a  moment  Colonel  Dale  looked  at  the  boy  to 
see  if  he  were  in  earnest,  and  then  burst  into  a  hearty 
laugh.  "  Why,  Arthur  !  "  he  said  at  length,  "  what 
ever  put  such  an  idea  into  your  head  ?  I  don't 
know  the  first  thing  about  oil  wells,  and  I  am  afraid 
that,  wise  as  you  are,  you  don't  know  much  more 
than  I  do." 


2l8  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  That  's  just  it,  sir  !  "  replied  the  boy,  eagerly. 
"  And  it  is  because  both  of  us  are  l  chumps '  that 
we  '11  be  certain  to  strike  oil.  Brace  Barlow  always 
said  so.  You  see,  a  '  chump '  is  somebody  who 
does  n't  know  any  more  about  oil,  or  where  to  find 
it,  than  we  do.  What  Brace  Barlow  says  is,  that 
while  those  who  know  all  about  the  business  often 
strike  '  dusters,'  a  '  genuine  chump  '  always  has  luck 
with  his  first  well.  Now,  you  are  a  '  genuine  chump,' 
you  know.  I  'm  afraid  I  am  not  quite  genuine, 
because  Brace  Barlow  has  told  me  so  much  about 
the  business,  and  because  I  helped  him  shoot  a  well. 
But,  I  think  you  must  be  genuine  enough  for  both 
of  us.  It 's  a  perfectly  splendid  way  to  make  money, 
unless  you  strike  a  '  duster,'  but  only  '  sharps '  do 
that." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  '  dusters  '  and  '  sharps '  ? 
They  sound  exceedingly  like  slang  words,"  said 
Colonel  Dale,  smiling. 

i  "  Oh,  no,  indeed  ,  they  are  not !  "  cried  Arthur. 
"  Brace  Barlow  uses  them,  and  so  does  Uncle  John. 
A  ( duster '  is  a  dry  well — one  that  does  n't  have 
any  oil,  you  know  ;  and  a  '  sharp '  is  one  who  under 
stands  all  about  the  oil  business.  He  is  just  the 


A    "GENUINE    CHUMP"  2IQ 

most  different  kind  of  a  man  from  a  l  chump,'  and  is 
nearly  always  too  wise  to  make  money." 

"  But,  my  boy,  your  farm  is  not  even  in  the  oil  re 
gion  ;  so  what  makes  you  fancy  that  we  could  strike 
oil  by  sinking  a  well  on  it  ? "  asked  Colonel  Dale. 

"  Because  I  know  two  secrets  about  it,"  answered 
the  boy,  mysteriously.  "  One  day  when  papa  and  I 
were  walking  in  the  back  wood-lot,  we  smelled  gas, 
and  by  and  by  we  found  a  tiny  place  in  the  rocks 
where  it  came  out.  Papa  lighted  it,  and  it  burned 
beautifully.  Then  he  put  it  out,  and  told  me  always 
to  remember  that  place,  but  not  to  say  anything 
about  it  to  anybody  until  the  proper  time  came. 
After  that  papa  studied  a  great  deal  about  oil,  and 
he  found  out  that  our  farm  was  on  the  forty-five 
degree  line,  and  said  he  was  quite  sure  that  oil 
would  some  day  be  found  on  it. 

"  So,  while  he  did.  n't  tell  anybody  but  me  about 
it,  he  made  Uncle  John  promise  never  to  sell  the 
farm.  I  have  thought  several  times,  when  I  needed 
money,  that  I  would  go  back  to  my  farm  and  get 
some  oil  to  sell ;  but  then  it  has  always  come  some 
other  way,  so  I  have  n't  had  to  touch  it.  Then  I 
thought  I  would  save  it,  until  I  was  ready  to  be  a 


220  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

railroad  man,  and  wanted  to  build  a  railroad  of  my 
own.  Now  I  have  decided  that  I  would  rather  you 
should  have  it  than  to  do  anything  else  in  the  world 
with  it,  and  then  you  can  make  Dalecourt  beautiful 
again,  and  we  can  always  live  here  and  be  happy." 

Although  at  the  time  Colonel  Dale  made  light  of 
his  little  grandson's  plans  for  acquiring  wealth,  this 
curious  conversation  set  him  to  thinking,  and  to 
looking  up  all  the  information  concerning  oil  that 
he  could  obtain.  The  more  he  considered  the 
scheme,  the  more  favorably  he  was  impressed  with 
it,  and  the  more  inclined  he  was  to  attempt  it. 

Mrs.  Allen  Dale  thought  it  was  all  nonsense  ;  but 
Miss  Harriet  was  delighted  with  it,  and  begged  her 
uncle  to  undertake  it.  "  Just  think  ! "  she  exclaimed, 
"  how  fine  it  would  be,  if  our  little  '  Prince  Dusty ' 
should  turn  out  to  be  a  little  oil  Prince.  Would  n't 
it  be  splendid  ?  " 

At  length,  when  the  winter  had  passed,  and  the 
Virginia  forests  were  putting  on  their  delicate  spring 
robes  of  leaves  and  blossoms,  Colonel  Dale  decided 
to  make  the  venture,  and  to  sink  a  "  wild-cat "  well 
on  the  Pennsylvania  farm  belonging  to  his  grandson, 
with  the  hope  of  finding  oil. 


A    "GENUINE    CHUMP."  221 

It  was  a  curious  thing  for  a  staid  arid  elderly  Vir 
ginia  planter  to  undertake  ;  and,  but  for  the  desperate 
state  of  his  fortunes,  it  is  doubtful  if  he  would  have 
considered  the  plan  for  a  moment.  As  it  was,  he 
mortgaged  Dalecourt  for  the  very  last  cent  that 
could  possibly  be  raised  on  it,  and,  with  the  few 
thousand  dollars  thus  obtained,  started  for  Pennsyl 
vania. 

Arthur  and  Miss  Harriet  accompanied  him;  the 
former,  as  a  matter  of  course,  because,  as  he  said,  he 
was  to  be  his  grandpapa's  partner  in  this  new  busi 
ness.  The  latter  went  to  keep  house  for  them  while 
the  well  was  being  sunk,  and  to  continue  Arthur's 
education,  which  she  had  undertaken  when  he  first 
came  to  Dalecourt.  Mrs.  Dale  was  to  remain  in 
charge  of  the  beautiful  old  place,  which  might  so 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  strangers,  and  Uncle 
Phin  was  also  left  behind  to  fill  the  responsible 
position  of  head  gardener. 

On  the  morning  that  the  little  party  set  forth  on 
the  journey  that,  to  them,  promised  as  much  of 
glorious  success  or  disastrous  failure  as  did  ever  an 
ancient  voyage  of  discovery  or  exploration,  Arthur 
was  enthusiastic  over  their  undertaking,  and  confi- 


222  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

dent  of  its  complete  success.  Miss  Harriet  was 
smiling  and  hopeful.  Colonel  Dale  was  serious,  and 
his  face  wore  an  air  of  quiet  determination ;  while 
Mrs.  Allen  Dale  was  tearful  and  doubtful.  She 
bade  them  good-bye  as  though  she  never  expected 
to  see  them  again ;  and,  when  they  were  gone,  she 
gazed  as  sadly  about  her,  as  though  the  last  hope  of 
Dalecourt  had  departed  with  them. 

The  journey  was  a  rapid  and  pleasant  one,  occupy 
ing  but  two  days  and  one  night,  which  was  in  striking 
contrast  to  the  three  months  spent  by  Arthur  and 
Uncle  Phin  in  traversing  the  same  distance. 

Arthur  did  not  manifest  much  interest  in  Wash 
ington,  as  they  passed  through  it.  He  had  suffered 
too  much  there  to  care  to  renew  his  associations  with 
the  place.  He  only  looked  eagerly  from  the  car 
window  at  all  the  dogs  that  were  to  be  seen,  with 
the  faint  hope  that  one  of  them  might  be  his  dear 
Rusty. 

At  Harrisburg  he  tried  to  point  out  to  his  com 
panions  Conductor  Tobin's  cottage ;  and,  from  there 
to  Pittsburgh,  he  felt  almost  certain  that  every 
freight  train  they  passed  must  be  No.  15,  and  that 
on  each  he  recognized  Brakeman  Joe.  He  was 


A   "GENUINE   CHUMP."  223 

greatly  disappointed  that  they  did  not  have  time  to 
go  and  see  Aunt  Charity ;  for  he  gratefully  remem 
bered  all  those  who  had  been  kind  to  him  in  the 
time  of  his  need,  and  would  gladly  have  renewed 
their  acquaintance. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A    FEW    FACTS    CONCERNING    PETROLEUM. 

AS  they  approached  the  oil  region,  and  began  to 
see  the  tall  derricks,  looking  like  windmill 
towers,  crowning  the  hilltops,  their  conversation 
naturally  turned  upon  the  subject  of  oil  and  its 
production.  Arthur  related  stories  from  Brace  Bar 
low's  experience ;  while  Colonel  Dale,  who,  from 
weeks  of  reading,  was  now  as  well  informed  on 
on  all  matters  pertaining  to  oil  as  one  can  be  from 
books  alone,  gave  them  bits  of  information  concern 
ing  its  early  use  and  history. 

One  of  Arthur's  stories  described  the  fearfully 
narrow  escape  his  "dear  giant "  once  had  from  a  run 
away  team.  He  was  driving  along  a  lonely  road 
that  ran  in  the  bottom  of  a  narrow  valley,  and  had 
sixty  quarts  of  nitro-glycerine  snugly  stowed  under 

the  seat  of  his  buggy.     Suddenly  he  saw  a  runaway 

224 


A   FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM.        22$ 

team  attached  to  a  heavy  lumber  wagon,  dashing  at  a 
mad  gallop  down  the  road,  directly  toward  him.  There 
was  barely  time  to  turn  his  own  horses  into  the  ditch 
at  one  side,  and  thus  leave  a  narrow  space  through 
which  the  runaways  might  have  passed  in  safety,  if 
they  had  so  chosen. 

Instead  of  doing  this,  they  too  headed  for  the 
ditch,  and  plunged  into  it,  just  in  front  of  the  glycer 
ine  buggy.  There  they  fell  over  each  other,  broke 
the  pole,  upset  their  wagon,  and  became  so  entangled 
in  the  wreck  that  they  were  incapable  of  further 
mischief.  All  this  took  place  within  ten  feet  of 
where  Brace  Barlow  sat,  on  top  of  his  load  of  nitro 
glycerine,  as  steadily  as  though  he  did  not  expect, 
with  each  instant,  to  be  blown  into  a  million  frag 
ments,  and  hurled  into  eternity. 

Then  Colonel  Dale  explained  what  torpedoes  are, 
and  why  they  are  used  ;  and  Miss  Hatty  said  she 
hoped  their  well  would  have  to  be  shot,  so  that  she 
might  witness  the  operation.  Seeing  that  his  com 
panions  were  interested  in  the  subject,  the  Colonel 
continued  to  talk  of  it.  He  said  : 

"  Although  we,  naturally,  know  and   hear   more 

about  the  oil  fields  of  Pennsylvania  than  any  other, 

15 


226  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

petroleum  is  also  found  in  a  dozen  or  more  of  our 
own  States  and  territories,  as  well  as  in  many  other 
countries  of  the  world.  In  Pennsylvania  it  exists  in 
a  narrow  territory,  lying  about  fifty  miles  west  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains ;  and,  as  the  oil-bearing 
belt  extends  in  a  general  northeast  and  southwest 
direction,  it  is  spoken  of  as  lying  on  a  forty-five- 
degree  line." 

"  Just  as  our  farm  does,"  said  Arthur. 

"Exactly,"  said  his  grandfather,  "  and  I  only  hope 
it  may  not  lie  over  one  of  the  many  barren  places 
that  exist  on  that  line." 

"  In  this  part  of  the  country,"  he  continued,  u  the 
drilling  of  wells  and  the  handling  of  oil  have  been 
reduced  to  a  state  of  perfection  and  simplicity  un 
known  elsewhere.  Consequently,  Pennsylvania  well 
drillers,  with  their  tools,  are  in  demand  in  many 
foreign  oil  fields,  and  may  be  found,  commanding 
large  salaries,  in  Russia,  Japan,  China,  New  Zealand, 
Canada,  the  various  countries  of  "Western  South 
America,  in  several  of  the  West  Indian  islands,  and 
elsewhere. 

"  In  China  immense  oil  fields  exist,  in  which  wells, 
drilled  centuries  ago,  are  still  in  use.  Natural  gas 


A    FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM.         22/ 

has  also  been  used  in  that  country  for  hundreds,  and 
perhaps  thousands,  of  years.  It  is  conveyed  from 
the  wells  through  bamboo  pipes  tipped  with  rude 
clay  burners. 

"  Petroleum  has  also  been  known  and  used  in 
Burmah  for  an  unknown  length  of  time,  both  for 
light  and  fuel.  Into  a  shallow  oil  well  of  that 
country  an  iron  bucket  is  lowered  by  means  of  a 
rope,  passing  over  a  wooden  cylinder.  When  the 
bucket  is  full,  two  men  take  hold  of  the  other  end 
of  the  rope,  and,  by  running  down  an  inclined  plane 
as  long  as  the  well  is  deep,  draw  it  to  the  surface." 

"What  a  stupid  way,"  said  Miss  Hatty. 
,  "  Havana,  Cuba,"  continued  Colonel  Dale,  "  was 
originally  named  '  Carine,'  for  it  was  the  place  where 
the  early  voyagers  to  the  new  world  careened  their 
vessels  and  made  their  seams  water-tight  with  the 
natural  pitch,  or  solidified  petroleum,  that  oozed  in 
abundance  from  the  rocks  near  the  shores  of  the 
harbor.  Oil  springs  are  very  numerous  in  Cuba,  as 
they  are  in  many  others  of  the  West  Indian  islands." 

"  Would  n't  it  be  good  if  we  could  find  a  flowing 
oil  spring  on  our  farm  ? "  said  Arthur,  his  eyes 
glistening  at  the  prospect. 


228  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  It  would  certainly  be  very  pleasant,"  replied  his 
grandfather.  "  And,  speaking  of  flowing  springs,  the 
most  wonderful  flow  of  petroleum  ever  seen  in  any 
country,  occurred  in  1862  in  the  town  of  Enniskillen, 
in  the  western  part  of  the  Canadian  Province  of  On 
tario,  along  the  borders  of  a  stream  called  Black  Creek. 
At  that  time  there  was  so  little  demand  for  oil  that 
it  was  only  bringing  ten  cents  a  barrel,  though  three 
years  later  it  was  worth  ten  dollars  a  barrel  in  gold. 

"The  first  well  in  that  region  was  drilled  early  in 
the  year;  and,  at  the  depth  of  only  one  hundred 
feet,  it  entered  an  immense  reservoir  of  petroleum. 
Although  oil  was  of  so  little  value  at  that  time,  the 
reckless  settlers  of  the  country  seemed  possessed  of 
a  rage  for  drilling  wells,  apparently  merely  for  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  it  flow  from  them.  Some  of  these 
rudely  drilled  wells  spouted  forth  thousands  of  bar 
rels  of  oil  in  a  day,  and  one  of  them  is  computed  to 
have  flowed  at  the  rate  of  10,000  barrels  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  All  these  fountains  and  rivers  of  oil 
were  allowed  to  run  absolutely  to  waste.  The 
waters  of  Black  Creek  were  covered  by  it  to  a  depth 
of  six  inches,  and  it  formed  a  film  over  the  entire 
surface  of  Lake  Erie. 


A   FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM.        229 

"At  length  this  vast  quantity  of  oil  was  set  on 
fire  by  some  mischievous  person,  who  wished  to  see 
what  the  effect  would  be.  For  days  Black  Creek 
was  a  torrent  of  raging  flames,  that  leaped  and 
roared  with  inconceivable  fury  and  grandeur.  It 
was  such  a  sight  as  the  world  never  had  seen,  and 
probably  never  will  see  again ;  while  the  Canadians 
were  so  thoroughly  satisfied  with  their  experiment 
that  they  have  had  no  desire  to  repeat  it  since. 

"It  is  estimated  that,  during  the  spring  and  sum 
mer  of  1862,  no  less  than  five  millions  of  barrels  of 
oil  ran  to  waste  down  the  channel  of  Black  Creek. 
Three  years  later  that  amount  of  oil  would  have 
been  worth,  in  the  United  States,  a  hundred  million 
of  dollars." 

"  My  ! "  exclaimed  Arthur,  drawing  a  long  breath. 
"I  don't  believe  I  should  know  what  to  do  with  so 
much  money  as  that." 

"I  am  afraid  you  would  n't,  dear,"  laughed  Miss 
Hatty.  "  I  know  that  I  for  one  would  not  dare  as 
sume  the  responsibility  of  taking  care  of,  and  spend 
ing,  such  an  enormous  sum.  Why,  the  man  who 
has  one  hundredth  part  of  that,  or  one  million,  has 
more  money  than  many  princes,  and  is  wealthy  be- 


230  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

yond  the  average  conception ;  while  he  who  has  but 
a  thousandth  part  of  it,  or  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  is  still  a  rich  man." 

Although  Arthur  hardly  comprehended  these  fig 
ures,  they  interested  him,  and  he  now  asked :  "  How 
many  barrels  of  oil  will  we  have  to  get  out  of  our 
well,  grandpapa,  to  give  us  as  much  money  as  we 
need?" 

"That  is  rather  a  hard  question  to  answer,"  laugh 
ed  Colonel  Dale;  "for,  as  a  general  thing,  the  more 
money  people  have,  the  more  they  think  they  need. 
However,  always  supposing  that  it  is  not  a  'duster,' 
as  you  have  taught  me  to  call  a  dry  hole,  if  our  well 
yields  twenty-five  barrels  a  day  I  shall  be  pleased.  If 
it  should  yield  fifty  barrels  I  should  be  perfectly  satis 
fied  ;  while  with  a  daily  yield  of  one  hundred  barrels,  I 
should  be  amazed  and  delighted.  In  that  case  you 
might  well  be  called  a  'little  oil  Prince';  for,  with 
oil  at  three  dollars  per  barrel,  your  income  would 
be  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 
year." 

"But  suppose  it  should  yield  more  than  a  hun 
dred  barrels  a  day?"  persisted  Arthur.  "How 
would  you  feel  then?" 


A   FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM.        2$l 

"I  am  sure  I  do  not  know,"  laughed  his  grand 
father,  "for  I  cannot  conceive  of  such  a  thing  as 
happening.  I  expect  I  should  feel  something  as  Mr. 
Kier  of  Pittsburgh  did  in  1860,  when  the  oil  that  he 
had  been  getting  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  barrels 
a  day  from  his  salt  wells,  and  selling  as  a  medicine 
for  fifty  cents  a  half  pint,  was  suddenly  produced  in 
such  quantities  that  the  price  fell  to  about  ten  cents 
per  barrel.  So,  if  our  well  should  flow  too  freely,  I 
should  be  afraid  that  its  product  would  become  a 
drug  on  the  market." 

"Just  what  Mr.  Kier's  had  been,  but  ceased  to 
be,"  laughed  Miss  Hatty. 

"  What  ?  "  asked  Arthur,  innocently. 

"  Why,  a  drug  on  the  market.  Did  n't  uncle  say 
that  it  was  formerly  sold  as  a  medicine  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Arthur,  soberly,  "  I  see." 

Just  then  Miss  Hatty,  who  was  very  fond  of  figs, 
invested  ten  cents  in  a  small  box  of  "fig  tablets," 
as  the  train-boy  called  them.  She  and  Arthur  at 
once  began  to  eat  them  with  evident  relish,  but 
Colonel  Dale  refused  the  proffered  box. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  you  are  eating  ?  "  he  asked, 
smiling. 


232  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  Why,  figs  of  course,"  answered  Miss  Hatty. 

"  Do  you  call  that  a  fig  leaf  ? "  asked  her  uncle, 
pointing  to  one,  cut  from  green  paper,  that  lay  on 
top  of  the  box. 

"No,  certainly  not.  That  is  only  an  imitation 
leaf,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Well,  it  is  just  as  much  a  real  leaf  as  those  are 
real  figs." 

"  Why,  grandpapa,  they  have  seeds  in  them  ! " 
exclaimed  Arthur,  as  though  that  was  proof  posi 
tive  that  they  must  be  real  figs. 

"  To  be  sure  they  have,"  laughed  Colonel  Dale. 
"The  imitation  would  not  be  a  good  one  if  the 
seeds  were  left  out.  In  spite  of  their  seeds,  those 
figs  are  made  of  petroleum ;  or  rather  of  paraifine, 
which  is  one  of  the  important  products  of  petro 
leum.  Not  long  ago  I  came  across  a  list  of  over  two 
hundred  articles  of  commerce  that  are  manufactured 
directly  from  this  wonderful  oil.  Among  them  were 
these  veiy  '  fig  tablets.'  Other  things  made  from 
paraffine  are  chewing-gum,  jujube  paste,  gum-drops, 
some  jellies  and  jams,  icing  for  cakes,  etc.  The  list 
also  contained  the  names  of  all  our  most  brilliant 
dyes,  which  are  produced  from  the  very  lowest 


A   FEW  FACTS  CONCERNING  PETROLEUM.        233 

residuum  of  petroleum  tar,  and  several  drugs,  among 
which  was  a  powerful  anaesthetic." 

"  Well,"  said  Miss  Hatty,  "  I  am  glad  I  am  not  so 
wise  as  some  people.  It  is  very  foolish  to  know  too 
much ;  for  it  takes  half  the  pleasure  out  of  life. 
Now  I  am  sure  I  don't  care  to  eat  any  more  of  these 
kerosene  figs,  even  if  they  have  got  seeds  in  them ; 
and  yet  a  minute  ago  I  thought  them  quite  good." 

"  Seems  to  me,"  said  practical  little  Arthur,  "  that 
it  is  more  foolish  not  to  eat  a  thing  that  tastes  good, 
if  it  won't  do  you  any  harm,  no  matter  what  it  is 
made  of,  than  it  is  to  be  wise." 

"And  it  seems  to  me,"  said  Colonel  Dale,  "that 
we  had  better  be  collecting  our  things  and  preparing 
to  leave  the  train ;  for  here  is  the  station  at  which 
we  are  to  get  off." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

LOCATING    AN    OIL  WELL. 

IT  was  a  comfortable,  low-roofed,  stone  farm-house, 
at  which  the  stage  deposited  our  travellers, 
after  a  pleasant  drive  from  the  railway  station.  To 
Arthur  it  seemed  very  much  like  a  home,  so  filled 
was  it  with  memories  of  his  dear  father.  As  Colonel 
Dale  had  notified  the  neighbor,  who  had  it  in  charge, 
of  their  coming,  everything  was  in  readiness  for 
them.  The  house  had  been  aired  and  swept,  its 
plain  but  serviceable  furniture  dusted  and  cleaned, 
lights  were  burning  in  all  the  lower  rooms,  and  sup 
per  was  nearly  ready. 

Miss  Hatty,  who  had  never  been  there  before,  was 
charmed  with  the  place,  and  hoped  that  if  they 
lost  Dalecourt  they  could  make  their  home  here 
in  "Prince  Dusty's"  castle. 

They  did  not  tell  anybody  why  they  came  into 

234 


LOCATING  AN  OIL    WELL.  235 

that  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  world,  and  many 
were  the  discussions  throughout  the  scattered  neigh 
borhood  as  to  the  object  of  their  visit.  At  length 
old  Deacon  Thackby  thought  he  had  discovered 
the  secret  and  he  announced  the  fact,  with  a  wise 
look  on  his  shrewd  face,  as  he  and  several  others 
stood  on  the  church  steps  after  a  Friday  evening 
meeting. 

"  I  figgered  out  yesterday,"  he  said,  "  why  them 
Dales  come  here  and  settled  down  like  they  was 
going  to  stay." 

"  I  thought  maybe  from  the  way  I  see  him  peering 
round  that  p'raps  he  was  perspecting  fer  ile,"  piped 
a  thin  voice  at  the  Deacon's  elbow. 

"  Ile ! "  snorted  the  Deacon,  contemptuously. 
"  You  Ve  got  ile  on  the  brain,  brother  Moss.  Ef  thar 
was  any  ile  raound  here  would  n't  some  of  us  that 
was  homed  and  brung  up  in  the  place  have  diskiv- 
ered  it  long  ago  ?  Do  you  suppose  a  stranger,  who  I 
reckin  never  seed  a  drap  of  crude  in  his  life,  is  a 
coniin  to  tell  us  what  we  never  knowed  about  our 
own  kentry,  nor  what  our  fathers  never  knowed,  nor 
what  nobody  never  will  know  ? 

"Well "  said  the  thin  voice. 


236  BORING  FOR  OIL. 

"  Well ! "  interrupted  the  Deacon.  "  There  's  no 
use  talking.  It  may  be  ile  that  has  brung  'em  here ; 
but  it  's  paint  ile,  an  not  petroleum.  That  young 
woman  is  one  of  them  artiss's  that  you  hear  so  much 
about  nowadays,  an  she  's  here  to  do  some  paintin. 
The  boy  wanted  to  come  naturally  'cause  it  was  his 
home,  an  the  old  Gunnel  he  come  to  look  after  'em. 
That  's  all  thar  is  about  it." 

"What  makes  you  think  the  young  lady  is  an 
artist,  Deacon  ?  "  asked  another  of  the  group. 

"  I  don't  think,  I  know,"  replied  Deacon  Thackby, 
decidedly,  "  an  how  I  know  is  'cause  I  seen  her  at  it, 
and  'cause  she  's  cranky  and  pernicketly  like  they 
all  is.  Why,  last  Wednesday  she  come  down  to  my 
old  red  mill  an  did  a  drawring  of  it,  an  called  it  a 
beautiful  color  subjec,  an  said  she  was  comin  down 
agin  yesterday  afternoon  to  do  it  in  iles.  Well,  you 
know  how  drefful  shabby-looking  the  old  place 
was,  all  kinder  cluttered  up,  an  the  paint  wore 
off  in  patches,  an  them  vines  hiding  the  best  half 
of  it. 

"  It  seemed  too  bad  to  have  her  wastin  her  time 
on  sich  as  it  was,  an  I  did  n't  want  folks  to  look  at 
her  picter,  when  it  was  done,  an  say  how  shifless  I 


LOCATING  AN  OIL   WELL.  237 

was  nohow.  So  I  got  the  boys  out  by  the  break 
o'  day,  au  we  put  in  some  good  solid  work  on  that  mill 
agin  the  time  she  got  thar.  We  tore  down  all  them 
pesky  vines  an  burned  them  up,  an  cut  away  the 
bushes  so  as  to  make  a  good  airy  clearin  all  raound. 
Then  we  turned  to  an  giv  the  hull  outside  a  fust- 
class  coat  of  whitewash,  from  ruff  to  suller,  an  made 
it  look  fine. 

"  We  had  n't  more  'n  finished  when  she  come  along 
with  all  her  fixins,  ready  to  do  it  up  in  iles ;  but 
when  I  went  out  to  show  her  what  we  'd  done  she 
did  n't  seem  a  mite  grateful.  She  jest  looked  dis 
appointed  an  miserable  an  said  '  Oh,  Deacon,  how 
could  ye  ? ' 

"Then  she  went  off,  like  she  felt  real  bad,  an 
awhile  arterwards  I  see  her  settin  on  the  big  rock 
in  my  hill  pasture,  wastin  all  her  paints  on  one  of 
them  common  pink  an  white  apple-trees,  such  as 
you  might  see  most  any  day  bout  this  time  o'  year. 
Oh,  yes,  she  's  a  artiss,  an  cranky  like  they  all  is." 

In  the  meantime  Colonel  Dale  was  quietly,  but 
actively,  making  preparations  to  sink  a  well,  in 
search  of  the  wealth  of  oil  that  he  hoped  lay  hidden 
beneath  the  Dustin  farm.  On  the  very  first  morn- 


238  BORING  FOR  OIL. 

ing  after  they  reached  there  he  and  Miss  Hatty  and 
.,  Arthur  visited  the  place  in  the  back  wood-lot  where 
Mr.  Dustin  and  his  son  had  discovered  the  tiny  gas 
jet  issuing  from  the  rocks.  Arthur  readily  found  it 
again,  and  again  the  application  of  a  lighted  match 
gave  proof  that  it  was  genuine  gas  and  would 
burn. 

Then  the  Colonel  said  he  would  leave  the  loca 
tion  of  the  well  to  his  little  partner,  and  asked  him 
to  point  out  the  place  where  he  wished  the  derrick 
to  stand. 

The  boy  walked  hesitatingly  around  the  gas  jet 
for  a  minute,  and  then,  returning  to  where  the  others 
stood,  said  : 

"  Don't  you  think,  grandpapa,  that  Cousin  Hatty 
'd  better  be  the  one  to  say  where  it  shall  stand? 
You  see  I  know  so  much  about  oil,  and  you  have  got 
so  wise  lately,  that  I  am  afraid  we  are  not  quite  such 
1  chumps  '  as  we  ought  to  be  ;  but  Cousin  Hatty  is  a 
real  genuine,  and  does  n't  know  anything  at  all. 
About  oil,  I  mean  ! "  he  added  quickly,  blushing 
furiously.  "  Of  course  she  knows  everything  else, 
and  that  's  what  makes  her  the  very  best  kind  of  a 
1  chump.' ' 


LOCATING  AN  OIL    WELL.  239 

"  Something  like — 

"  '  The  pork-pie  man's  beautiful  daughter 
Who  rarely  knew  what  she  had  orter  ; 
And  in  quenching  a  fire, 
Once  sought  to  rise  higher, 
Using  ile,  instead  of  cold  water,'" 

laughed  Miss  Hatty.  "  However,  I  will  consent  to 
act  as  the  '  chump '  of  this  party  for  the  sake  of  the 
common  good,  and  I  decide  that  the  well  shall  be 
sunk  on  this  very  spot."  Here  the  young  lady 
thrust  a  bit  of  stick  into  the  ground  where  she  was 
standing.  It  was  about  a  hundred  feet  from  the 
little  gas  jet,  on  the  side  nearest  the  house,  and  Miss 
Hatty  afterwards  acknowledged  that  she  selected  it 
because  it  was  visible  from  her  window,  and  she 
wanted  to  be  able  to  see  the  derrick  when  it  was 
built. 

The  spot  where  that  bit  of  stick  stood  in  the 
ground  instantly  acquired  a  new  interest.  It  almost 
seemed  as  though  they  could  see  the  tall  derrick 
that  was  to  rise  there,  and  hear  the  steady  thud  of 
the  drill  as  it  cut  its  way  down  through  earth  and 
rock  to  the  oil-bed.  The  very  air  seemed  to  be  filled 
with  the  odor  of  petroleum ;  but  perhaps  it  was  only 


240  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

a  whiff  of  the  gas  driven  towards  them  by  a  puff  of 
wind.  At  any  rate,  they  felt  that  a  beginning  had 
been  made  now  that  the  site  of  the  well  was  decided 
upon,  and  were  more  than  ever  anxious  to  have  the 
work  go  speedily  forward. 

Soon  afterwards  Colonel  Dale  visited  the  old  oil 
region,  some  twenty  miles  away,  in  which  Mr.  John 
Dustin  lived,  to  purchase  the  necessary  supplies  for 
his  well,  and  to  engage  experienced  men  to  come  and 
drill  it.  It  was  while  he  was  thus  absent  that  Deacon 
Thackby  persuaded  the  neighborhood  that  the 
Dales  were  only  there  because  Miss  Hatty  was  an 
"artiss." 

The  neighborhood  was  indeed  astonished  when 
it  discovered  one  day  that  several  loads  of  lum 
ber  had  been  hauled  from  the  railway  station  to 
the  Dustin  farm,  and  that  a  "rig-builder"  was  at 
work  with  his  men  erecting  a  derrick  in  the  back 
wood-lot. 

"  What  in  the  name  of  common-sense  ! "  ejaculated 
Deacon  Thackby,  when  he  first  heard  of  what  was 
going  on. 

"Did  n't  I  tell  ye  I  thought  they  was  perspecting 
round  fer  ile  I  "  piped  brother  Moss'  thin  voice. 


LOCATING  AN  OIL    WELL.  241 

4CBut  thar  ain't  no  ile  within  twenty  mile  of 
here  "  cried  Deacon  Thackby.  "  The  man  must  be 
a  born  natural  to  come  wild-catting  down  here,  and 
I  'm  jest  a  going  to  tell  him  so." 

And  the  Deacon  did  tell  Colonel  Dale  how  fool 
ishly  he  was,  wasting  his  money,  and  how  perfectly 
useless  it  was  to  drill  for  oil  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  where,  if  there  was  any,  it  would  have  been 
discovered  long  ago. 

"  Has  anybody  tried  sinking  a  well  in  this  vicini 
ty  ?  "  asked  Colonel  Dale. 

"  Yes,  thar  was  Sile  Pettis  put  one  down  'bout  a 
year  ago ;  but  it  did  n't  mount  to  nothing.  Thar 
warn't  no  ile  into  it." 

"  How  deep  did  he  sink  it  ? "  inquired  the  Colonel, 
with  interest. 

"  Well,  not  more  than  four  hundred  foot  or  so," 
admitted  the  Deacon,  reluctantly. 

"  And  the  l  third  sand,'  which  is  the  only  one  in 
this  region  that  pays — or  at  least  so  I  am  told," 
remarked  the  Colonel,  "  is  hardly  ever  struck  at  a 
less  depth  than  one  thousand  feet.  Is  Mr.  Sile 
Pettis'  unproductive  well  the  only  thing  that  makes 
you  think  there  is  no  oil  about  here,  Deacon  ? " 

16 


242  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  Thar  ain't  no  surface  indications,  like  thar  should 
be  if  the  ile  was  right  down  under  us." 

"  That  is  something  we  must  provide  for  at  once," 
laughed  Arthur's  grandfather.  "  I  realize  that  we 
must  have  them,  Deacon,  and  just  as  soon  as  I  get  this 
well  down  a  thousand  feet  I  will  try  and  show  you 
some  of  the  finest  surface  indications  in  the  country." 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    DALE-DUSTIlSr    MYSTERY. 

ALTHOUGH  Colonel  Dale  talked  thus  bravely 
and  cheerfully,  he  could  not  drive  away  a 
heavy,  sinking  feeling  from  his  heart,  nor  prevent 
the  furrows  in  his  face  from  growing  deeper  and 
deeper,  as  he  thought  of  how  much  depended  upon 
the  result  of  this  experiment  that  everybody  about 
him  said  was  such  a  foolish  waste  of  both  time 
and  money. 

Still  the  work  was  pushed  steadily  forward.  The 
graceful  derrick  was  run  rapidly  up  to  a  height  of 
sixty  feet,  and  a  strong  iron  pulley  wheel  was 
suspended  from  its  crown.  On  the  derrick  floor,  at 
one  side,  the  great  bull  wheels,  about  the  shaft  of 
which  the  drill  rope  was  to  be  wound,  were 
placed  in  position.  On  the  opposite  side  was  set  the 
solid  samson  post  that  was  to  support  the  equally 

243 


244  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

solid  walking  beam.  The  former  was  a  section  of 
the  squared  trunk  of  an  oak  tree,  let  deep  into  the 
ground;  while  the  walking  beam  was  a  long  and 
very  strong  oaken  timber,  nicely  balanced  so  that  it 
would  work  readily  up  and  down.  To  the  end  of 
the  walking  beam,  that  reached  into  the  middle  of 
the  derrick,  were  to  be  attached  the  heavy  drills ; 
while  the  other  end  was  connected  with  the  ten- 
horse-power  engine  that  stood  in  a  rough  shed  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  derrick. 

Still  beyond  this,  in  the  open  air,  was  a  rusty 
boiler,  with  a  pipe  discharging  into  its  open  furnace 
door.  This  pipe  led  from  a  small  tank  that  was 
filled  by  the  jet  of  natural  gas,  discovered  by  Arthur 
and  his  father ;  and  natural  gas  was  to  be  the  only  fuel 
used  in  drilling  and  operating  the  Dale-Dustin  well. 

At  length,  after  a  month  of  hard  work  and  vexa 
tious  delays,  the  "  rig-builders  "  finished  their  labors, 
and  the  well  drillers  came  in  their  place.  To 
Arthur's  great  joy,  they  were  headed  by  his  "dear 
giant,"  Brace  Barlow,  who,  having  heard  that  his 
little  friend  was  interested  in  a  new  oil  well,  applied 
for  and  obtained  the  contract  for  drilling  it.  "  And 
Arthur,  lad,"  he  said,  after  the  first  warmth  of  their 


THE  DALE-DUSTIN  MYSTERY.  245 

greeting  was  over,  "  if  this  well  proves  a  l  duster,'  it 
won't  be  because  it  is  n't  drilled  fair  enough,  or  deep 
enough.  I  '11  keep  the  temper  screw  turning,  and 
the  drill  going,  till  we  strike  something  to  stop  it, 
if  it  's  only  an  order  to  quit,  or  the  bottom  of  the 
appropriation." 

Brace  Barlow  brought  with  him  a  delightful  sur 
prise  for  Arthur  in  the  person  of  his  Cousin  Cyn 
thia,  who,  upon  Miss  Hatty's  invitation,  came  to 
make  a  visit  at  Dustin  farm.  The  two  children 
enjoyed  each  other  so  thoroughly  that  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  see  them  together.  Arthur  had  so 
much  to  tell  and  Cynthia  so  much  to  hear  concern 
ing  his  wonderful  journey  to  Dalecourt,  and  they 
had  so  many  plans  to  make  for  the  future,  that  the 
days  were  not  half  long  enough  for  them.  In  the 
evenings,  when  the  day's  work  was  done,  Arthur 
generally  sat  with  Brace  Barlow,  listening  to  his 
tales  of  adventure  in  the  oil  region,  or  relating  inci 
dents  of  the  recent  journey,  in  which  Brace  was  fully 
as  much  interested  as  Cynthia. 

Thus  the  boy  discovered  how  the  mysterious  five- 
dollar  bill  came  to  be  in  his  precious  book,  and  Brace 
learned  of  what  service  it  had  been  to  them. 


246  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Day  after  day  the  powerful  drills  worked  steadily 
downward  through  hard  and  soft  rock,  sometimes 
descending  only  six  or  eight  feet  in  twenty-four 
hours,  but  generally  cutting  through  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  of  material  in  a  day.  The  first  and  second 
sandstones  or  "sands"  were  passed,  and  at  length 
the  drill  was  down  a  thousand  feet.  At  this  depth 
it  had  not  yet  reached  the  third,  or  oil-bearing,  sand 
stone.  Occasional  puffs  of  gas  came  up  through  the 
casing  of  iron  pipe  that  was  driven  down  as  fast  as 
a  hole  was  cut  to  receive  it ;  but  there  was  no  sign 
of  oil. 

The  work  had  now  been  prosecuted  for  two 
months,  and  with  the  passage  of  time,  and  the  rapid 
melting  away  of  the  few  remaining  dollars  of  his 
fortune,  Colonel  Dale's  face  grew  more  furrowed  and 
careworn,  and,  though  he  still  tried  to  maintain  a 
brave  front,  it  was  evident  that  anxiety  was  telling 
heavily  upon  him. 

As  the  opening  of  a  new  district  has  a  very  de 
cided  effect  on  the  oil  market,  all  brokers  who  deal 
in  oil  or  oil  stocks  are,  of  course,  anxious  to  secure 
the  earliest  information  concerning  the  prospects  of 
the  first  well  sunk  in  it.  If  this  proves  to  be  a  diy- 


THE  DALE-DUSTIN  MYSTERY.  247 

hole,  and  the  district  is  accordingly  believed  to  be 
barren,  the  price  of  oil  remains  firm,  with  a  tendency 
to  go  up.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  new  well 
happens  to  be  a  "  gusher,"  the  price  of  oil  immedi 
ately  drops.  In  either  case  those  who  receive  the 
earliest  reliable  information  are  able  to  make  their 
purchases  or  sales  of  oil  accordingly  and  reap  large 
profits. 

In  order  to  obtain  this  information  some  of  the 
leading  brokers  and  oil  companies  employ  a  class  of 
men  called  "  scouts,"  whose  duty  it  is  to  find  out  all 
about  new  wells,  especially  those  drilled  in  districts 
hitherto  unworked,  and  to  report  upon  their  prog 
ress  and  prospects.  These  scouts  are  always  bright 
young  fellows,  thoroughly  posted  in  all  details  of 
the  oil  business ;  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  keep 
the  condition  of  any  well  a  secret  from  them,  even 
though  the  owners  undertake  to  do  so. 

Now  Colonel  Dale  had  determined  to  reap,  for 
Arthur's  sake,  whatever  benefits  were  to  be  gained 
from  an  early  knowledge  of  the  prospects  of  the 
Dale-Dustin  well.  For  this  purpose  he  had  engaged 
the  services  of  a  broker  in  Oil  City,  whom  he  had 
undertaken  to  furnish  with  the  very  earliest  infor- 


248  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

matioii  regarding  it.  As  the  drill  neared  the  depth 
at  which  it  was  expected  to  enter  the  oil-bearing 
rock,  a  number  of  scouts  began  to  appear  on  the 
scene  of  operations  and  to  visit  the  well  every  day. 
On  the  approach  of  the  critical  hour  that  was  to 
decide  the  fate  of  the  experiment,  these  visitors 
were  politely  but  firmly  requested  to  keep  off  the 
premises,  while  the  derricks  and  tanks  were  boarded 
up,  so  that  they  might  not  be  able  to  witness  the 
inside  operations  from  a  distance.  The  drillers 
were  bound  to  secrecy  regarding  the  progress  of 
their  work,  and  a  guard  was  stationed  about  the 
well,  with  orders  not  to  allow  any  stranger  to  ap 
proach  the  derrick.  Thus  the  Dale-Dustiu  well 
became  a  "mystery,"  and  the  scouts  were  put  to 
their  wits'  end  to  discover  its  condition. 

They  formed  a  camp  among  the  thick  hemlocks, 
back  of  the  Dustin  farm,  and  at  the  nearest  point 
to  the  well  they  could  reach.  Here  one  or  more  of 
their  number  remained  on  watch  night  and  day, 
with  fleet  horses  beside  them,  ready  to  bear  them  to 
the  nearest  telegraph  station  with  the  first  bit  of 
information  they  should  obtain.  From  this  camp  a 
powerful  field  glass  was  always  directed  toward  the 


THE  DALE-DUSTIN  MYSTERY.  249 

new  derrick,  the  strokes  of  the  walking-beam  were 
counted,  and  eveiy  movement  of  those  who  came 
out  of,  or  went  into,  the  boarded  structure  was 
closely  watched. 

During  the  darkness  of  night  the  scouts  crept 
closer,  and,  with  many  a  narrow  escape  from  the 
guards,  who  constantly  patrolled  the  premises, 
watched  and  listened  for  any  chance  bit  of  news 
that  might  thus  be  gleaned. 

At  last  their  patience  and  perseverance  were  re 
warded,  and  they  gained  the  very  information  for 
which  they  had  striven  so  long.  A  scout,  who  had 
lain  concealed  in  a  clump  of  low  bushes  beside  the 
derrick,  during  the  long  hours  of  a  dark,  stormy 
night,  overheard  a  remark  not  intended  for  his  ears. 
It  furnished  a  key  to  the  situation ;  and,  slipping 
away,  still  unobserved,  to  where  his  horse  was 
fastened,  he  galloped  rapidly  off  in  the  direction  of 
the  village. 

In  the  several  oil  exchanges  of  the  country,  the 
principal  item  of  news  the  next  morning  was  that 
the  Dale-Dustin  mystery  well  had  proved  a  dry 
hole ;  and  many  were  the  jokes  made  concerning 
the  Dustin  "  duster." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A    BITTER    DISAPPOINTMENT. 

THE  Dale-Dustin  well  was  a  dry  hole.  It  con 
tained  a  little  gas  and  plenty  of  salt  water ; 
but  not  a  drop  of  oil  flowed  from  it,  though,  as  Brace 
Barlow  said,  the  material  through  which  the  drill 
had  finally  pierced,  at  a  depth  of  twelve  hundred 
feet,  was  as  likely  looking  oil  sand  as  one  would 
wish  to  see.  The  boss  driller  was  greatly  puzzled  to 
account  for  the  present  state  of  affairs,  though  he  was 
not  inclined  to  talk  much  about  it.  He  had  so  often 
and  so  confidently  predicted  that  this  well  was  not 
only  going  to  strike  oil,  but  to  prove  a  "gusher," 
that  he  now  had  nothing  to  say. 

He  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  morning  in  wan 
dering  moodily  about  the  place,  occasionally  entering 
the  derrick,  and  casting  reproachful  glances  at  the 

idle  drills,  as  though  they  were  in  some  way  respon- 

250 


A   BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT.  2$  I 

sible  for  having  opened  such  a  useless  hole  in  the 
ground.  Then  he  would  pick  up  a  handful  of  sand, 
from  a  little  pile  on  the  derrick  floor,  where  the 
sand-pump,  that  brought  it  from  the  very  bottom  of 
the  well,  had  deposited  it.  He  would  smell  of  this 
sand,  and  taste  it,  and  rub  it  slowly  between  his 
fingers.  Then,  with  a  perplexed  shake  of  his  head, 
the  "  dear  giant "  would  throw  it  away,  and  again 
set  forth  on  his  melancholy  wanderings  about  the 
place.  He  had  discharged  and  paid  off  his  men  that 
morning ;  so  now  he  was  left  entirely  alone  with  his 
thoughts.  At  length,  about  noon,  he  disappeared, 
and  nobody  knew  what  had  become  of  him. 

The  night  before,  his  tour  of  duty,  or  "  tower,"  as 
the  oil  men  say,  began  at  midnight,  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  drilling,  with  one  assistant.  They 
found  that  the  tools  had  entered  the  third  sand,  in 
which  it  had  been  expected  to  strike  oil,  and  were 
rapidly  cutting  their  way  through  it.  The  layer  of 
sandstone  at  this  point  was  unusually  thick,  and  it 
was  not  until  nearly  daylight  that  the  drill  pene 
trated  beyond  it. 

With  each  drop  of  the  tools,  the  anxious  watchers 
at  the  surface  expected  a  rush  of  oil ;  and  each  time 


252  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  sand-pump  was  let  down,  its  return  was  eagerly 
awaited,  and  its  contents  were  carefully  examined. 
There  were,  to  be  sure,  traces  of  oil ;  but  that 
was  all. 

All  night  long,  Colonel  Dale  sat  in  the  derrick, 
hardly  speaking  or  moving,  except  when  he  stepped 
forward  to  study  the  contents  of  the  sand-pump.  It 
was  a  night  of  nights  to  him.  His  fortunes,  and 
those  of  the  dear  ones  dependent  upon  him,  were  to 
be  decided  by  the  result  of  those  few  hours'  labor. 

A  derrick  lamp  cast  an  uncertain  light  over  the 
scene,  and  threw  long  wavering  shadows  across  the 
floor.  Brace  Barlow  worked  the  temper  screw,  and 
turned  the  drill  after  each  stroke,  so  as  to  insure  its 
cutting  a  perfectly  round  hole.  His  assistant  labored 
at  the  little,  glowing  forge  in  one  corner.  Here  he 
heated  the  extra  drills,  and,  on  the  anvil  beside  him, 
beat  their  blunted  points  into  sharp,  cutting  edges 
•with  a  heavy  hammer. 

There  was  a  steady  clangor  of  noise  within  the 
boarded  structure ;  while  outside  the  wind  howled 
dismally.  Conversation  would  have  been  difficult ; 
and,  under  the  circumstances,  there  was  nothing  that 
any  of  the  three  men  cared  to  say.  Colonel  Dale's 


A   BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT.  253 

face  grew  whiter  and  whiter,  as  the  slow  hours 
passed,  and  the  monotonous  working  of  the  tools  pro 
duced  no  result.  His  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  great 
drill  rope,  as  it  moved  steadily  up  and  down,  but  he 
did  not  see  it.  He  saw  his  dearly  loved  grandson, 
and  his  niece,  thrown  on  the  charity  of  the  world. 
He  saw  Dalecourt,  his  once  beautiful  home,  and  the 
home  of  his  fathers,  passing  from  him,  and  occupied 
by  strangers.  He  saw  himself  ruined  and  helpless, 
pointed  at  by  men  as  an  old  fool,  who  had  persisted 
in  squandering  his  money  on  a  reckless  adventure 
that  everybody  told  him  would  only  result  in  failure. 

He  hardly  knew  when  the  monotonous  throb  of  the 
machinery  ceased ;  but,  in  the  stillness  that  followed, 
he  heard  the  tones  of  Brace  Barlow's  voice,  something 
like  those  of  a  judgment.  Standing  respectfully  and 
pityingly  before  him,  the  young  man  said  : 

"  I  hate  to  tell  you,  Colonel  ;  but  it 's  no  use  drill 
ing  any  further.  We  Ve  gone  clean  through  the  sand 
without  a  show.  I  don't  understand  it,  but  it 's  so  all 
the  same,  and  it  would  be  foolish  to  spend  any  more 
money  on  such  a  '  duster  '  as  this  hole  has  proved." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Barlow,"  replied  Colonel  Dale, 
speaking  calmly  and  without  a  trace  of  emotion, 


254  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

"  pay  off  the  men  and  discharge  them.  I  am  going 
to  the  house  for  a  nap.  Please  see  that  I  am  not 
disturbed  or  awakened."  Then  the  stricken  man, 
with  the  merciless  hand  of  ruin  clutching  at  his 
throat,  walked  slowly  away  from  the  scene  of  his 
high  hopes  and  bitter  disappointment. 

In  the  stillness  that  followed  the  stopping  of  the 
machinery,  Brace  Barlow's  words  had  been  plainly 
heard  by  the  oil  scout,  who  crouched,  wet,  cold,  and 
well-nigh  exhausted,  in  his  hiding-place  close  beside 
the  derrick.  It  was  what  he  had  waited  for ;  and,  an 
hour  later,  the  news  of  the  failure  of  the  Dale-Dustin 
wild-cat  well  was  flashing  far  and  wide  over  the  wires. 

Soon  afterward  all  the  world  knew  of  it — that  is, 
all  the  oil  world  or  the  world  that  cared  to  know  of 
such  things.  The  greater  part  of  this  world  rejoiced 
at  the  news.  It  was  not  exactly  envy  or  jealousy 
that  caused  their  rejoicing,  but  perhaps  it  was  a  mix 
ture  of  the  two.  At  any  rate  it  was  that  unkind 
feeling  that  prompts  so  many  of  us  to  secretly  dis 
like  the  person  whom  we  are  congratulating  on  a 
success,  and,  again,  to  secretly  rejoice  over  his  mis 
fortunes,  while  outwardly  sympathizing  with  him. 
A  few,  a  very  few  people  were  really  grieved  by  the 


A    BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT.  255 

news  and  were  sincerely  sorry  for  the  old  man  and 
the  boy  whose  hopes  were  dashed  by  it. 

Deacon  Thackby  was  sorry,  but  at  the  same  time 
he  found  great  satisfaction  in  saying  :  "You  remem 
ber  I  told  you  how  it  would  be,  an  I  give  the  Gunnel 
a  fair  warnin." 

Brace  Barlow  was  sorry ;  sorry  from  the  very 
bottom  of  his  great,  honest  heart ;  but  as  he  could 
find  no  words  to  express  his  sorrow  he  went  away 
without  having  said  that  he  was. 

The  scouts  were  sorry ;  not  that  it  made  any  great 
difference  to  them,  only  it  would  have  been  so  much 
more  fun  if  the  well  had  proved  a  "  gusher  "  instead 
of  a  "  duster."  Still,  as  they  philosophically  re 
marked,  it  would  all  be  the  same  in  the  long  run. 
So,  after  visiting  the  now  lonely  and  deserted  well 
to  assure  themselves  that  the  report  concerning  it 
was  true,  they  packed  their  hand-bags  and  departed 
in  search  of  new  "  mysteries."  Only  one  of  their 
number  remained  behind,  and  he  was  the  one  who, 
having  crouched  beside  the  derrick  all  night  long, 
was  so  worn  out  that  he  slept  through  the  greater 
part  of  the  following  day.  When  he  awoke  his 
companions  had  departed,  and  as  the  last  train  of 


256  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

that  day  had  also  gone  he  was  forced  to  remain 
where  he  was  until  the  next  morning. 

To  a  very  small,  almost  unnoticed  portion  of  the 
world,  the  news  that  the  well  was  a  "  duster  "  caused 
not  only  unfeigned  sorrow,  but  genuine  consternation. 
Miss  Hatty  had  always  been  hopeful  of  its  success, 
while  Arthur  had  never  for  a  moment  doubted  it. 
He  had  such  absolute  faith  that  the  oil  was  there 
and  would  be  found  that,  with  Cynthia's  help,  he 
had  made  plans  for  years  to  come,  all  based  upon 
the  striking  of  oil  in  the  Dale-Dustin  well,  and  the 
income  to  be  derived  from  it.  He  had  not  only 
planned  the  restoration  of  Dalecourt  and  laid  out 
his  own  career  as  a  railroad  man,  but  he  had  given 
to  all  of  his  friends,  and  especially  to  those  who  had 
been  kind  to  him  and  Uncle  Phin  on  their  journey, 
everything  that  they  most  desired. 

To  Cynthia  this  had  all  seemed  so  real  that  for 
several  days  she  had  been  in  a  state  of  mental  be 
wilderment,  trying  to  decide  upon  what  she  did  most 
desire.  To  have  this  responsibility  lifted  from  her 
mind  by  the  refusal  of  the  oil  well  to  provide  even 
the  smallest  income  with  which  Arthur's  plans 
might  be  carried  out,  was  really  a  great  relief  to  the 


A    BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

little  girl.  Still  she  could  and  did  sympathize  with 
Arthur's  distress,  and  tried,  in  her  childish  way,  to 
comfort  him  by  telling  him  not  to  mind,  that  it 
did  n't  matter  veiy  much  any  how,  and  that  there 
were  lots  of  good  times  left. 

But  Arthur  did  mind,  though  it  was  more  for  his 
grandfather's  sake  than  for  his  own.  Brace  Barlow 
had  awakened  him  at  daylight  by  throwing  pebbles 
against  his  window,  to  tell  him  the  sad  news,  and  ask 
him  to  warn  his  cousins  that  Colonel  Dale  had  just  gone 
to  bed  utterly  exhausted,  and  must  not  be  disturbed. 

Arthur  told  Miss  Hatty  and  Cynthia,  and,  after 
they  had  eaten  a  sorrowful  breakfast,  they  sat  and 
talked  of  their  grief  in  whispers  and  low,  awed 
tones,  as  though  somebody  had  died. 

Miss  Hatty,  who  realized  more  fully  than  any 
body  else  her  uncle's  position,  and  what  utter  ruin 
this  blow  meant  for  him,  was  more  distressed  even 
than  Arthur,  and  he  almost  forgot  his  own  sorrow 
in  his  efforts  to  comfort  her. 

"  Don't  cry,  Cousin  Hatty,"  he  pleaded,  as  he 
gently  smoothed  her  hair,  and  wondered  in  his 
boyish  fashion  what  good  crying  could  do  in  such 
a  case  as  this.  "  It  is  n't  so  bad  after  all,  when  you 


258  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

conie  to  think  of  it,"  he  continued.  "  Really  it 
is  n't.  Even  if  we  can't  go  back  to  Dalecourt, 
we  have  got  this  place,  and  it  's  a  great  deal  better 
than  some  places,  you  know,  and  your  inamma  and 
Uncle  Phin  can  come  here  to  live  with  us,  and  I  can 
do  lots  of  things  to  earn  money,  and  we  can  be  just 
as  happy  as  anything.  I  ought  to  be  the  one  to 
work  for  the  rest  anyhow,  because  it  must  have  been 
my  knowing  so  much  about  oil  wells  that  spoiled 
this  one.  I  never  did  feel  like  a  real  truly  chump, 
but  I  thought  perhaps  you  and  grandpapa  could 
make  up.  I  am  afraid  though  the  trouble  was  that 
it  was  more  my  well  than  anybody  else's,  and  so  you 
being  chumps  did  n't  do  any  good." 

"  You  are  a  dear,  blessed  little  comforter  !  "  cried 
Miss  Hatty,  throwing  her  arms  about  her  "  Prince 
Dusty "  and  giving  him  a  great  hug.  She  even 
smiled  through  her  tears,  whereupon  the  boy  de 
clared  that  he  could  almost  see  a  tiny  rainbow  at 
the  ends  of  her  eye-lashes. 

Then  the  children  went  out,  but  it  was  only  to 
walk  soberly  up  to  the  now  silent  derrick  where  it 
was  so  lonely,  and  seemed  so  queer,  that  they  did 
not  care  to  stay  long. 


CHAPTER  XXXTI. 


THE  long,  solemn  day  wore  itself  slowly  away, 
and  the  weight  of  a  great  calamity  was  so 
heavy  upon  it  that  everybody  was  glad  when  night 
came  and  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed. 

Although  Colonel  Dale  had  not  been  seen,  he  had 
been  heard  pacing  heavily  up  and  down  his  room 
for  hours  at  a  time.  Miss  Hatty  had  carried  some 
dinner  up-stairs,  and  begged  that  he  would  eat  it. 
Without  opening  his  door,  he  said  :  "  Leave  me  alone 
to-day,  Harriet,  and  to-morrow  I  will  again  try  to 
face  the  world."  She  thereupon  left  the  tray  close 
beside  the  door,  and  told  him  that  it  was  there. 
He  did  not  again  answer  her,  nor  had  the  tempting 
dishes  been  touched  at  nightfall. 

Arthur  fell  asleep  wondering  where  Brace  Barlow 
had  gone,  and  why  his  "  dear  giant "  should  have 

259 


260  BORING  FOR  OIL. 

left  without  bidding  him  good-bye.  Perhaps  it  is 
for  this  reason  that  he  sprang  from  his  bed  so  very 
wide  awake  \vhen  a  tiny  pebble  rattled  against  his 
window,  just  as  it  had  done  the  morning  before, 
when  Brace  roused  him  to  hear  the  sorrowful 
news  of  the  well.  It  was  earlier  this  time  than  it 
had  been  then,  for  the  daylight  was  so  faint  that 
Arthur  could  just  make  out  that  it  was  his  "  dear 
giant "  who  again  stood  beneath  his  window,  look 
ing  up  and  beckoning  to  him. 

"Dress  yourself  and  come  down  as  quickly  and 
softly  as  you  can."  said  the  young  man,  in  a  loud 
whisper. 

The  boy  obeyed,  wondering  what  on  earth  Brace 
could  want  with  him  at  that  time  of  day.  In  less 
than  five  minutes  he  was  down  stairs,  and  standing 
outside,  in  the  damp  chill  of  the  early  morning. 

Brace  was  waiting  for  him.  Without  a  word,  he 
led  the  boy  up  the  hill  back  of  the  house,  and  into 
the  derrick  of  the  Dale-Dustin  well.  Not  until  then 
did  he  speak.  Now  he  said  : 

"I  have  called  you  out,  Arthur,  lad,  because  I 
have  got  a  job  on  hand  that  I  can't  veiy  well  do 
alone,  and  because  I  wanted  your  permission  to 


SHOOTING  A    ''DUSTER."  26l 

undertake  it.  You  own  half  of  this  well,  don't 
you  ? " 

"  Why,  yes,"  answered  the  boy,  in  surprise ;  "  I 
suppose  I  do.  Grandpapa  and  I  are  partners,  you 
know." 

"Well,  then,  as  one  of  the  owners,  I  want  your 
permission  to  try  a  shot  in  it." 

"  In  this  well  ? "  cried  Arthur  ;  "  why,  I  thought 
you  only  shot  old  wells  that  had  stopped  flowing." 

"  So  we  do,  generally,"  replied  Brace.  "  But,  if  a 
shot  will  help  an  old  well  that  won't  flow,  why 
should  n't  it  help  a  new  one  that  won't  ?  I  Ve  made 
up  my  mind  that  there  is  oil  down  in  that  hole. 
The  sand  says  there  is,  and  I  never  knew  it  to  lie. 
Now,  if  that  is  so,  it  only  needs  to  be  stirred  up  a 
bit ;  and  a  good  big  shot  will  fetch  it,  if  anything 
can.  I  Ve  been  up  to  the  magazine,  where  I  had  a 
little  of  the  stuff  left,  and  have  brought  down  a 
hundred  and  twenty  quarts.  There  it  is,  over 
yonder." 

Arthur  gave  a  little  start,  as,  in  the  dusky  corner 
of  the  derrick  thus  pointed  out,  he  now  for  the  first 
time  saw  the  well -remembered  square  tins,  in  which 
the  terrible  explosive  rested  so  quietly. 


262  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  I  Ve  brought  the  shells,  too,"  continued  Brace. 
, "  Now,  I  only  want  you  to  say  '  go  ahead,'  and  then 
help  me  put  into  the  Dale-Dustin  a  bigger  shot  than 
I  have  ever  used  before.  It  can't  do  any  harm,  and 
it  may  do  a  great  deal  of  good.  What  do  you  say  ? 
Shall  we  try  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course  we  will ! "  cried  Arthur,  greatly  ex 
cited.  "  And,  oh,  Brace !  if  the  oil  only  would 
come,  should  n't  we  be  happy  ?  " 

"Well,  I  rather  guess  we  would,"  replied  the  tor 
pedo  man,  heartily,  as  he  began  making  his  prepara 
tions  for  the  great  shot. 

Everything  had  been  made  ready,  on  a  liberal 
scale,  for  the  expected  oil  that  had  thus  far  failed 
to  appear.  Two  tanks,  each  capable  of  holding  a 
thousand  barrels,  stood  empty  and  waiting.  The 
casing  head  was  in  position,  and  the  heavy  iron 
"oil-saver"  lay  near  the  well,  waiting  to  be  used. 
Colonel  Dale  never  did  anything  by  halves,  and  he 
had  been  thoroughly  prepared  for  eveiy  emergency, 
except  the  striking  of  a  dry  hole.  This  he  had 
feared  and  dreaded,  but  had  not  really  expected. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  the  experienced  well-shooter 
and  his  fearless  young  assistant  had  filled  the  bright 


SHOOTING  A    "DUSTER."  263 

tin  tubes  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  quarts  of 
nitro-glycerine,  and  they  now  hung  in  the  well, 
ready  to  be  sent  to  the  bottom  as  one  huge  torpedo, 
eighty  feet  long.  Arthur  stood  by,  without  a  tremor, 
as,  with  steady  hands,  Brace  Barlow  emptied  can 
after  can  of  the  awful  liquid,  and  was  so  quick  to 
lend  a  helping  hand  whenever  he  could  be  of  assist 
ance,  that  he  seemed  to  know  what  was  wanted  be 
fore  the  other  could  utter  a  request. 

So  eager  and  anxious  were  they,  that  they  hardly 
spoke  while  engaged  in  their  dangerous  task. 

At  length  the  great  torpedo  was  lowered,  slowly 
and  carefully,  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  well,  and 
its  line  was  reeled  in.  The  empty  cans  had  been 
carried  to  a  safe  distance,  and  Brace  now  stood  be 
side  the  boy,  on  the  derrick  floor,  holding  the  go- 
devil  in  his  hand.  He  looked  at  Arthur,  and  the 
latter  understood  the  look. 

"Yes,  Brace,"  he  said,  "I  want  to  drop  it."  With 
the  utmost  coolness  and  steadiness  of  nerve,  'Prince 
Dusty'  held  the  iron- winged  messenger  of  destruction 
over  the  mouth  of  the  well  for  an  instant,  and  then 
sped  it  on  its  downward  night,  toward  the  monster 
waiting  a  thousand  feet  below,  to  receive  it. 


264  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

Hand  in  hand  the  man  and  the  boy  fled  from  the 
place,  out  from  among  the  trees,  and  down  the  hill-side. 

Then  came  a  mighty  trembling,  like  that  of  an 
earthquake  shock,  followed  by  the  terrible  smothered 
roar,  and  a  few  seconds  of  silence  and  suspense. 

"  There  it  comes  !  "  shouted  Arthur,  almost  beside 
himself  with  excitement,  as  a  liquid  column  rose 
slowly  from  the  mouth  of  the  well  to  a  height 
of  twenty  feet  or  so,  and  then  fell  back. 

"  No,  that  's  only  the  water,"  answered  Brace 
Barlow,  gazing  with  strained  eyes  and  an  intense 
eagerness,  such  as  he  had  never  before  known. 

Suddenly  a  black  column  of  mud,  water,  and 
burned  glycerine  rushed  to  the  top  of  the  derrick. 
Its  blackness  was  tinged  with  the  yellow  of  oil,  and 
Brace  had  opened  his  mouth  to  utter  a  shout  of  joy ; 
when,  with  a  mighty  roar  like  that  of  thunder,  a 
dense  volume  of  gas  burst  forth.  For  a  few  mo 
ments  it  enveloped  the  derrick  in  an  impenetrable, 
bluish,  cloud.  As  this  cleared  away  there  stood  re 
vealed  a  solid  golden  column,  six  inches  in  diameter, 
reaching  to  the  top  of  the  derrick,  and  breaking 
into  great  jets  and  fountains  of  amber-colored  spray 
against  the  crown  pulley. 


WITH  A   MIGHTY   ROAR    LIKE  THAT  OF  THUNDER,    A   DENSE   VOLUME   OF 
GAS   BURST    FORTH.       (Page  264.) 


SHOOTING  A    "DUSTER."  26$ 

The  awful  force  with  which  that  mighty  column 
of  oil  rushed  upward  is  beyond  conception.  Nor 
can  its  beauty,  as  it  glowed  and  throbbed  in  the  red 
light  of  the  rising  sun,  be  appreciated,  save  by  those 
who  have  witnessed  similar  spectacles. 

Miss  Hatty,  who  had  sprung  from  her  bed  terri 
fied  and  bewildered  by  the  noise  and  jar  of  the  shot, 
saw  it  as  she  kneeled  by  her  chamber  window,  and 
breathed  a  fervent  prayer  of  thankfulness. 

Colonel  Dale,  who  had  rushed  into  the  open  air 
under  the  impression  that  some  terrible  convulsion 
of  nature  was  at  hand,  saw  it ;  and,  strong  man  that 
he  was,  he  trembled  like  one  stricken  with  a  palsy, 
while  great  tears  streamed  down  his  haggard  and 
deeply  furrowed  face. 

Brace  Barlow  and  Arthur  saw  it,  and  the  clear 
morning  air  rang  with  their  shouts  of  joy. 

"  There  's  no  dust  in  that  blessed  hole  this  time  ! " 
cried  Brace.  "  She  's  a  '  gusher '  if  there  ever  was 
one,  and  her  like  has  n't  been  seen  for  many  a  day." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SAVED  BY  THE  SIGN  OF  THE  TRAMP. 

IT  rarely  happens,  in  real  life,  that  people  are 
lifted  from  the  profoundest  depths  of  grief, 
poverty,  and  misfortune,  to  such  heights  of  joy  and 
promised  prosperity,  as  was  the  case  with  those 
whose  fortunes  depended  on  the  success  or  failure 
of  the  Dale-Dustin  oil  well,  on  the  memorable  morn 
ing  of  Brace  Barlow's  great  shot.  For  many  weeks 
they  had  been  weighed  down  by  anxiety,  and  filled 
with  mingled  hopes  and  fears.  For  hours  they  had 
been  prostrated  by  what  seemed  utter  and  unavoid 
able  ruin.  The  night  had  been  passed  in  hopeless 
sorrow,  but  in  an  instant  it  was  swept  away.  The 
rising  sun,  shining  full  on  that  gleaming  column  of 
oil,  hurling  its  mighty  torrent  from  the  mysterious 
recesses  where  it  had  lain  hidden  for  untold  ages, 
filled  their  hearts  with  its  gladness  and  unspeakable 

266 


SAVED  BY   THE   SIGN  OF   THE    TRAMP.  267 

glory.  For  some  minutes  they  could  only  gaze  upon 
the  scene  that  it  disclosed  with  incredulous  wonder 
and  amazement. 

To  Colonel  Dale  and  his  niece,  who  had  never  be 
fore  witnessed  the  shooting  of  an  oil  well,  the  sight 
was  a  miracle,  and  they  were  at  a  loss  to  account 
for  it. 

To  Arthur  and  Brace  Barlow,  who  had  not  dared 
hope  for  such  wonderful  results  from  their  torpedo, 
that  golden  fountain  of  oil  was  at  the  moment  the 
most  beautiful  and  desirable  thing  on  earth. 

At  length,  withdrawing  his  fascinated  gaze  from 
it,  Arthur  saw  his  grandfather  standing  bareheaded 
bewildered,  and  motionless,  near  the  open  door  of 
the  frame  house.  Running  to  him  the  excited  boy 
flung  himself  into  his  arms,  crying  : 

"  Oh,  grandpapa,  we  Ve  shot  the  '  duster '  and 
turned  it  into  the  most  beautiful  '  gusher '  that  ever 
was  seen !  Is  n't  it  perfectly  splendid  !  And  we 
are  the  very  most  genuine  kind  of  '  chumps,'  after 
all,  are  n't  we  ?  And  I  never  was  so  happy  in  all 
my  life  !  Were  you,  grandpapa  ?  " 

"  No,  my  boy,  I  don't  believe  I  ever  was,"  answered 
Colonel  Dale,  in  a  voice  almost  choked  with  emotion, 


268  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  unless  it  was  when  you  came  to  me  to  be  the  joy 
and  pride  of  my  old  age." 

Then  Miss  Hatty,  who  had  hastily  dressed  herself, 
came  running  down-stairs ;  and  she  cried  and  laughed 
at  the  same  time,  as  she  threw  her  arms  about  the 
boy  and  called  him  her  young  "  oil  Prince,"  and 
declared  that  he  was  the  dearest,  and  wisest,  and 
most  lovable  oil  Prince  in  all  the  world. 

Beside  them  stood  shy  little  Cynthia,  gazing  at 
the  marvel  with  wide  open  eyes,  half -frightened  and 
not  knowing  what  to  say,  but  thrilled  with  the  great 
happiness  and  excitement  of  those  about  her. 

In  the  meantime  hundreds  of  barrels  of  the  precious 
oil  were  pouring  down  the  hillside  and  going  to 
waste,  in  a  yellow  stream  that  fretted  and  sparkled 
and  tumbled  in  miniature  cascades  over  the  rocks  like 
a  runaway  mountain  brook.  Several  men  from  the 
neighboring  farms,  attracted  by  the  noise  of  the 
explosion  and  the  hoarse  roar  of  the  escaping  oil 
and  gas,  now  came  hurrying  to  the  spot.  Followed 
by  these,  Brace  Barlow  started  toward  the  derrick 
to  see  what  could  be  done  to  check  the  furious 
torrent  and  direct  it  into  the  empty  tanks. 

Colonel  Dale  was  about  to  join  them ;  but,  stopped 


SAVED  BY   THE   SIGN  OF   THE    TRAMP.  269 

by  a  sudden  thought,  he  turned  to  Arthur  and  asked 
him  if  he  could  ride  to  the  telegraph  office  five  miles 
away  and  send  an  important  despatch. 

"  Of  course  I  can,  sir,"  answered  the  boy  promptly, 
for  after  his  experience  of  that  morning  he  felt  that 
he  could  do  almost  anything. 

So  a  message  that  had  been  previously  thought 
out  was  hastily  written.  Arthur  was  charged  to 
make  all  speed  with  it  and,  above  all,  not  to  mention 
a  word  of  what  had  taken  place  at  the  Dale-Dustin 
well  that  morning  to  anybody. 

As  Colonel  Dale  had  found  it  necessary  to  ride 
about  the  country  a  great  deal  on  business  connected 
with  the  well,  he  had  purchased  the  horse  that 
Arthur  now  rode  when  they  first  came  there.  It 
was  a  fine  animal,  and  the  Colonel  valued  it  highly, 
besides  having  grown  very  fond  of  it. 

Now  as,  unmindful  of  Arthur's  light  weight,  it 
galloped  swiftly  and  easily  along  the  lonely  forest 
roads,  it  seemed  to  fully  share  its  young  rider's 
happiness  and  impatience.  Faster  and  faster  they 
flew,  the  horse  tossing  his  head  and  pulling  at  the 
bit,  while  the  boy's  cheeks  became  flushed  with 
excitement.  His  eyes  sparkled,  and  as  the  fresh 


2/0  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

morning  air  whistled  passed  him  it  seemed  filled 
with  happy  fancies.  It  was  a  glorious  ride,  and  he 
was  enjoying  it  to  the  utmost  when  it  was  inter 
rupted  in  a  most  disagreeable  and  unexpected 
manner. 

In  the  very  loneliest  part  of  the  road,  about  half 
way  to  the  village,  two  ragged,  evil-looking  men 
suddenly  sprang  out  from  the  bushes  by  which  they 
had  been  concealed.  One  of  them  succeeded  in  seiz 
ing  the  bridle  of  Arthur's  horse,  and  though  the 
startled  animal  reared  and  plunged  so  as  to  almost  un 
seat  his  young  rider,  the  man  managed  to  retain  his 
hold.  When  the  horse  at  last  became  quiet  this 
man  said  : 

"  The  walking  is  good  enough  for  young  legs  like 
yours,  sonny,  so  I  reckon  you  'd  better  light  down 
and  lend  us  this  hoss  for  a  bit.  My  pard  here  is 
lame,  so  that  he  can't  keep  up  with  the  procession 
very  well,  and  we  're  in  a  hurry  to  get  along." 

"  But  I  am  in  a  hurry  too,"  answered  Arthur,  try 
ing  to  speak  bravely  and  to  control  the  fear  that 
had  driven  every  bit  of  color  from  his  cheeks. 
"And  I  am  going  to  the  village  on  very  important 
business." 


SAVED   BY    THE   SIGN  OF   THE    TRAMP,  2JI 

"  It  must  be  very  important,"  said  the  tramp  with 
a  disagreeable  laugh. 

u  Yes,"  spoke  up  the  other,  "  I  reckon  it  's  as  im 
portant  as  buying  a  stick  of  candy ;  but  that  's 
nothing  to  the  importance  of  our  business.  We  're 
walking  delegates  of  the  society  of  independent 
tramps,  we  are,  and  our  business  can't  wait.  So 
tumble  down  out  of  that  saddle,  young  feller,  with 
out  wasting  any  more  of  our  walyable  time.  If  yer 
don't  I  '11  pull  yer  down  ;  for  we  Ve  got  to  have  this 
ere  hoss." 

The  word  "  tramp "  was  as  an  inspiration  to 
Arthur,  and  he  answered  boldly  :  "  If  you  steal  my 
horse  I  shall  tell  my  friend,  Sandy  Grimes,  the  very 
next  time  I  see  him,  and  he  will  make  you  send  it 
back,  -besides  making  you  very  sorry  that  you  dared 
do  such  a  thing." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  Sandy  Grimes  ? " 
asked  the  man  who  had  the  bridle,  while  they  both 
looked  so  uneasily  at  each  other  that  it  was  evident 
the  name  was  one  they  knew  and  feared. 

"  He  is  a  friend  of  mine,"  replied  Arthur,  "  and  he 
told  me  I  was  to  mention  his  name  if  any  tramps  like 
you  ever  tried  to  bother  me." 


2/2  BOKING  FOR   OIL. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  prove  you  are  a  friend  of 
Sandy's  ? "  asked  one  of  the  men.  "  You  don't  look 
over  much  like  one  of  his  kind." 

"  I  '11  prove  it  this  way,"  answered  the  quick 
witted  boy.  As  he  spoke,  he  drew  a  bit  of  pencil, 
and  the  despatch  he  was  to  deliver,  from  his  pocket. 
On  the  back  of  the  latter  he  made  the  symbol  M,  that 
the  big  tramp,  with  whose  boy  he  had  fought  mouths 
before,  had  shown  him. 

The  two  tramps  look  at  it  in  amazement.  "  Yes, 
that  's  Sandy's  mark,"  said  one  of  them  at  length  ; 
"  there  's  no  going  back  on  that.  But  I  don't  see 
how  he  ever  come  to  give  it  to  the  likes  of  you. 
However,  seeing  that  you  Ve  got  it,  and  claims  Sandy 
for  a  friend,  I  suppose  we  Ve  got  to  let  you  and  the 
hoss  go.  You  '11  have  to  give  us  every  cent  of 
money  that  's  about  your  clothes,  though,  for  my 
pard  '11  have  to  pay  his  railroad  fare,  if  he  can  't 
have  a  hoss  to  ride." 

•Arthur  had  a  dollar  that  his  grandfather  had 
given  him,  to  pay  for  sending  the  telegram,  and  this 
he  willingly  gave  up.  Then,  after  the  men  had 
made  him  turn  all  his  pockets  inside  out  to  show 
that  he  had  no  more  money,  they  let  go  of  his  horses' 


"YES,  THAT  's  SANDY'S  MARK,"  SAID  ONE  OF  THEM,  "THERE  's  NO 

GOING  BACK   ON  THAT."      (Page  272.) 


SAVED  BY    THE   SIGN  OF   THE    TRAMP.  273 

bridle,  and  in  another  moment  he  had  dashed  out  of 
their  reach  and  sight. 

It  was  an  ugly  adventure,  and  one  that  might  have 
ended  seriously  for  him,  if  the  boy  had  lost  his  head, 
or  allowed  his  fright  to  get  the  better  of  him.  But, 
as  has  been  said  before,  Arthur  was  not  one  of  the 
boys  who  lose  their  heads  in  times  of  danger,  and 
once  more  his  coolness  and  courage  had  saved  him. 

18 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

AN    OIL    SCOUT    OUTWITTED. 

A  RTHUR  reached  the  telegraph  office  without 
•^V  further  mishap ;  but,  to  his  dismay,  the 
operator  refused  to  send  his  message  unless  it  was 
prepaid, — and  he  had  no  money.  In  spite  of  Arthur's 
pleadings  that  he  would  do  so,  and  of  his  offer  to  go 
home,  get  the  money,  and  bring  it  immediately  back 
with  him,  the  operator  steadily  refused  to  send  the 
despatch,  saying  that  it  was  against  the  rules  to 
accept  a  collect  message  from  a  stranger. 

A  young  man,  who  was  waiting  in  the  office  for  a 
train,  and  who  recognized  Arthur  as  a  grandson  of 
the  owner  of  the  Dale-Dustin  well,  listened  with 
interest  to  this  discussion.  At  length  he  stepped  up 
to  the  boy,  saying  :  "  I  know  who  you  are,  and  I  '11 
pay  for  that  despatch,  rather  than  have  you  put  to 

any  inconvenience.     You  can  send  the  money  to  me 

274 


AN  OIL   SCOUT  OUTWITTED.  2/5 

at  any  time  by  postal  note,  you  know.  Let  me  see 
how  many  words  there  are  ? " 

With  this  the  stranger  glanced  over  Arthur's  tele 
gram,  as  though  to  count  the  number  of  words,  at 
the  same  time  drawing  a  handful  of  change  from  his 
pocket. 

"  You  must  write  it  out  on  a  regular  blank,"  said 
the  operator;  and  this  the  stranger  kindly  did 
for  Arthur,  crumpling  up  the  original  when  he  had 
finished,  and  holding  it  carelessly  in  his  hand,  as 
though  there  were  no  further  use  for  it. 

Just  then  the  train  came  along,  and  the  obliging 
young  man  hurried  away,  without  giving  Arthur 
his  address,  or  even  having  told  his  name. 

He  was  the  oil  scout,  who  had  hidden  beside  the 
Dale-Dustin  derrick  all  night,  and  thereby  learned 
that  the  well  was  a  dry  hole.  When  he  was  com 
fortably  seated  in  the  car,  he  drew  forth  the  crumpled 
original  of  the  telegram,  and  again  read  it.  It  was : 

"  To  R.  Sims, 

"  Petroleum  Exchange, 

"  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania  : 

"  Have  not  struck  the  oil  yet  in  any  quantities.  The  well 
now  is  proving  everything  bad  ;  but  fear  a  regular  duster. 

"  ARTHUR  DALE." 


2/6  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  Well,  if  that  is  n't  one  of  the  clumsiest  despatches 
I  ever  read,"  soliloquized  the  oil  scout.  "  He  seems 
to  have  tried  to  work  in  all  the  words  he  could. 
How  absurd  to  send  news  like  that,  twenty-four 
hours  after  all  the  world  knew  it.  I  should  say 
that  the  old  Colonel  was  a  little  off  his  base.  Per 
haps  his  disappointment  has  affected  his  mind.  I 
must  drop  in  on  Sims  and  congratulate  him  on 
getting  such  early  information.  I  '11  make  him  repay 
me  the  money  I  spent  on  that  telegram,  too." 

Then  the  scout  dismissed  the  subject  from  his 
mind,  and  turned  to  the  morning  paper  in  which, 
among  other  items  of  oil  news,  he  read  of  the  col 
lapse  of  the  Dale-Dustin  mystery,  and  found  himself 
spoken  of  in  highly  complimentary  terms  as  having 
been  the  first  to  discover  its  true  condition. 

"  That  's  the  ticket,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  and  it 
certainly  ought  to  induce  a  raise  of  salary.  I  shall 
take  care  that  my  bosses  see  that  notice,  and  if  they 
don't  come  down  with  something  handsome,  it  won't 
be  my  fault  or  because  their  duty  is  not  made  clear 
to  them." 

About  three  o'clock  that  afternoon,  after  having 
stopped  at  several  other  places,  the  scout  reached 


AN  OIL   SCOUT  OUTWITTED.  277 

Oil  City,  and  sauntered  into  the  office  of  R.  Sims, 
broker. 

"  How  are  you,  Sims  ? "  he  inquired  carelessly, 
throwing  himself  into  an  arm-chair.  "  What  's  the 
latest  from  Dale-Dustin  ? " 

"  Everything  is  lovely  there,"  answered  the  broker, 
who  was  looking  particularly  happy  and  well  satis 
fied  at  that  moment. 

"How's  that?" 

"Why,  she  's  flowing  right  along,  and  I  got  a 
despatch  early  this  morning  that  gave  me  a  good 
three  hours'  start  on  the  market.  It 's  been  a  mighty 
lucky  day  for  Colonel  Dale,  and  not  a  bad  one  for 
yours  truly,  I  can  tell  you.  I  should  n't  be  surprised 
if  we  'd  netted  a  cool  hundred  thousand.  By  the 
way,  your  company  got  badly  left !  How  did  that 
happen  ?  I  thought  you  were  on  the  spot.  The 
other  boys  said  you  were  to  stay  there  until  to-day." 

During  these  remarks  the  face  of  the  scout  grew 
white  and  red  by  turns.  Now  he  sprang  from  his 
chair  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  agitation,  crying: 
"  What  do  you  mean,  man  ?  The  Dale-Dustin  is  a 
dry  hole  !  What  sort  of  a  telegram  did  you  receive 
this  morning  ? " 


278  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

"  Dry  hole  !  well,  I  should  smile  ! "  exclaimed  the 
broker.  "  There  is  the  first  despatch  that  I  got  this 
morning,  and  I  have  had  several  since  confirming  it." 

With  this  he  handed  to  the  scout  a  telegraph 
form  on  which  was  written : 

"  To  R.  Sims,  Petroleum  Exchange, 

"  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania  : 

"  Have  »ot  struck  4k§  oil  ^t  in  -any  quantities.  :£be  well 
«4MV  is  jiro^ing  everything  bad  but  -feat  a  ^egv.Hr  duster. 

"ARTHUR  DALE." 

"  You  see,"  explained  Mr.  Sims,  "  we  were  afraid 
some  of  you  scouts  might  bribe  the  operator,  or  get 
hold  of  our  despatches  in  some  way.  So  we  arranged 
to  have  all  messages  referring  to  the  well  read  just 
the  opposite  of  what  was  really  meant,  until  every 
other  word  was  crossed  out.  Then  you  see  it  comes 
out  all  right." 

"  Oh !  it  comes  out  all  right,  does  it  ? "  groaned 
the  scout  as  he  hastily  left  the  office.  "  Well,  it  may 
be  for  you,  but  I  am  afraid  it  is  all  wrong  for  me." 

When  Arthur  returned  to  the  farm  after  sending 
his  despatch,  and  with  a  keen  appetite  for  the  break 
fast  Miss  Hatty  had  saved  for  him,  he  found  that 
the  great  stream  of  oil  had  been  just  got  under 


AN  OIL   SCOUT  OUTWITTED.  2/9 

control,  and  was  rapidly  filling  the  tanks  prepared 
to  receive  it.  He  also  found  a  large  gang  of  men  at 
work  laying,  with  all  possible  speed,  a  line  of  pipe 
from  the  Dale-Dustin  tanks  to  a  pumping  station  of 
the  great  seaboard  pipe  line  that  fortunately  was 
located  less  than  a  mile  away. 

The  shutting  in  of  that  marvellous  well  was  a 
task  that  taxed  the  best  energies  of  Brace  Barlow 
and  those  who  labored  with  him  to  their  utmost  for 
several  hours.  When  it  was  finally  completed  it 
was  a  feat  to  be  proud  of.  Colonel  Dale,  appreciat 
ing  the  magnitude  of  the  task,  offered  $400  reward 
to  any  one  who  should  succeed  in  completing  it. 
Stimulated  by  this,  Brace  and  three  other  men  im 
mediately  undertook  it. 

It  was  a  fearful  thing  to  venture  into  those  floods 
of  falling  oil  and  clouds  of  suffocating  gas ;  but,  in 
the  oil  region,  men  become  accustomed  to  such  per 
ils.  Stripping  to  the  waist,  these  four  boldly  entered 
the  derrick,  from  the  sides  of  which  the  boarding 
had  previously  been  torn  away. 

There  they  battled  with  the  rushing  torrent, 
which  every  now  and  then  flung  them  and  their 
appliances  to  one  side  as  though  they  were  jack- 


280  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

straws.  Occasionally  one,  or  all  of  them,  would 
dash  out  for  a  few  breaths  of  fresh  air,  and  to  rid 
their  lungs  of  the  deadly  gases  that  hung  low  over 
the  derrick.  Then  they  would  return  to  the  fight, 
and  toil  with  the  energy  and  strength  of  giants. 

At  length,  under  a  pressure  of  nearly  three  thou 
sand  pounds,  the  oil-saver  was  slowly  forced  down 
upon  the  fierce  stream  until  its  cap  finally  met  the 
casing  head.  A  moment  later  the  set  screws  were 
turned,  and  the  torrent  of  oil  was  discharging 
through  four  two-inch  pipes  into  the  waiting  tanks. 
Its  force  was  as  great  as  though  it  were  impelled  by 
the  pump  of  a  steam  fire-engine,  and  the  pipes  through 
which  it  discharged  throbbed  and  vibrated  under 
the  terrible  pulsations  of  the  flow. 

As  the  men  who  had  accomplished  this  task  came 
from  the  derrick,  reeking  with  the  oil,  they  flung 
themselves  to  the  ground,  so  thoroughly  exhausted 
with  their  long  struggle  that,  for  nearly  an  hour, 
they  could  not  be  persuaded  to  move. 

Now  the  pipe  must  be  hurried  to  its  completion 
before  the  tanks  overflowed.  More  men  and  more 
teams  must  be  procured.  The  well  could  not  be 
closed,  or  the  fierce  pressure  of  the  imprisoned  oil 


AN  OIL   SCOUT  OUTWITTED.  28 1 

and  gas  would  blow  out  its  casing,  and  the  waste 
would  be  enormous.  The  tanks  were  filling  at  the 
rate  of  five  hundred  barrels  an  hour  in  spite  of  all 
restrictions  that  could  with  safety  be  placed  upon 
the  flow,  so  that  in  four  hours'  time  they  would  be 
full  and  running  over.  So  messengers  were  sent  in 
all  directions  for  more  men  and  teams,  until  the 
whole  country  side  was  engaged  on  the  work. 

Shortly  after  noon  it  was  finished,  and  oil  from 
the  wonderful  Dale-Dustin  well  was  finding  its  way 
into  the  tanks  of  the  great  pipe  line  that  would  con 
vey  it  to  the  distant  seaboard  refineries. 

For  months  this  magnificent  well  poured  out 
thousands  of  barrels  of  oil  daily,  but  after  a  while 
it  settled  down  to  a  steady  stream  of  about  five  hun 
dred  barrels  in  each  twenty-four  hours,  which  yield, 
with  very  slight  diminution,  was  continued  for  sev 
eral  years. 

When  the  wearied,  but  happy  occupants  of  the 
little  farm-house,  retired  that  night  their  prospects 
for  the  future  were  as  bright  and  as  full  of  promise 
as,  but  a  few  hours  before,  they  had  been  sad  and 
gloomy.  The  well  had  already  more  than  paid  for 
itself,  and  it  was  rapidly  yielding  them  a  fortune  at 


282  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

the  rate  of  $1,500  for  each  hour  of  the  day  and 
night.  Their  days  of  poverty  had  come  to  an  end, 
and  wealth  was  literally  flowing  in  upon  them. 

It  was  impossible  for  Arthur  to  realize  the  full 
meaning  of  what  was  happening  for  his  benefit ;  but 
his  grandfather  and  cousin  did,  and  their  rejoicings 
were  more  for  his  sake  than  for  their  own.  Even 
they,  however,  could  have  no  conception  of  the 
effect  that  the  opening  of  the  Dale-Dustin  Well  was 
to  have  upon  that  whole  region,  nor  of  the  magical 
changes  that  were  to  take  place  on  that  lonely  farm 
within  a  few  days. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

DEVELOPING    AN    OIL    KEGION. 

BRACE  BARLOW'S  great  shot  not  only  opened 
the  Dale-Dustin  well,  but  it  announced  to 
the  world  the  discovery  of  a  new  oil  field  that 
promised  to  be  one  of  the  most  productive  and 
valuable  in  the  whole  Pennsylvania  region.  As  its 
echoes  rolled  far  and  wide  over  the  country,  they 
startled  men  in  all  walks  of  life,  bidding  them  leave 
their  homes  and  hasten  to  where  the  newly-found 
reservoirs  of  petroleum  only  awaited  the  magic 
touch  of  the  drill  to  pour  forth  their  floods  of 
wealth.  Thousands  of  people  listened  to  the  call  of 
the  echoes,  and  hundreds  gladly  responded  to  them. 
From  all  directions  they  flocked  to  the  Dustin  farm. 
They  brought  with  them  wealth  seeking  opportuni 
ties  for  investment,  and  they  came  with  empty 
hands.  Experienced  oil  producers  came,  and  men 

283 


284  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

who  had  never  seen  a  well  or  a  derrick.  Business 
men,  old  and  young  men,  came ;  clerks,  store-keep 
ers,  hotel  men,  teamsters,  carpenters,  well-drillers, 
and  torpedo  men,  lawyers,  doctors,  and  reporters, 
men  of  every  age  and  calling  began  to  pour  in  to 
the  new  oil  field  the  very  day  after  Arthur  Dale 
Dustin  dropped  the  go-devil  down  its  first  well. 

They  came  by  rail,  in  wagons,  and  on  foot.  They 
brought  their  families,  and  they  came  without  them. 
Within  two  weeks  the  new  oil  town  of  Dustindale 
had  sprung  into  a  full-fledged  existence.  It  con 
tained  nearly  a  thousand  inhabitants,  and  its  popu 
lation  was  increasing  by  hundreds  every  day.  It 
was  a  town  of  tents,  huts,  shanties,  and  the  lightest 
of  frame  buildings  hastily  run  up  at  a  cost  which, 
in  more  eligible  localities,  would  have  paid  for 
marble  structures  of  the  same  size.  A  branch  rail 
road,  to  connect  with  the  main  line,  five  miles  away, 
was  already  in  process  of  construction.  The  lonely 
Dustin  farm  was,  as  though  by  the  touch  of  a  magic 
wand,  transformed  into  one  of  the  most  bustling 
centres  of  the  busy  world. 

It  was  not  only  a  busy  place,  but  a  wealthy  one ; 
for  money  poured  into  it,  and  was  spent  as  freely  as 


DEVELOPING  AN  OIL   REGION.  285 

it  came.  Laborers  made  ten  dollars  a  day,  and 
teamsters  twenty.  Thousands  of  dollars  sent  to  be 
invested  in  wells  and  oil  lands  changed  hands  daily. 
Everybody  made  money  easily  and  quickly,  and  the 
majority  of  those  who  did  so,  seemed  possessed  of  a 
craze  for  spending  it,  giving  it  away,  throwing  it 
away,  or  doing  anything  else  to  get  rid  of  it. 

Scores  of  derricks  were  to  be  seen,  built  or  build 
ing,  in  every  direction ;  while  by  night,  as  well  as 
by  day,  was  heard  the  steady  clank  of  walking- 
beams,  and  the  dull  thud  of  drills. 

New  wells  were  going  down  on  all  sides ;  but,  for 
more  than  a  month,  only  one  was  in  operation.  It 
was  the  magnificent  Dale-Dustin,  the  magnet  that 
drew  this  feverish  mass  of  humanity  from  all  places 
to  itself,  the  living,  throbbing  promise  that  kept 
them  there.  They  gazed  at  it  with  a  never  failing 
delight  and  with  an  ever  increasing  wonder,  as  it 
steadily  and  without  a  pause  poured  forth  its  thou 
sands  of  barrels  of  oil.  They  began  to  believe  that 
it  was  inexhaustible,  and  that  it  might  flow  thus  to 
the  end  of  time.  To  its  owners  it  was  bringing 
in  a  royal  income.  At  the  same  time  they  had 
other  sources  of  wealth,  more  valuable  even  than 


286  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

it,  though  but  for  it  these  could  have  had  no 
,  existence. 

Of  all  this  wonderful  development  and  marvellous 
activity,  Colonel  Arthur  Dale,  of  Virginia,  was  King, 
and  his  grandson  was  the  Crown  Prince. 

With  the  first  rush  of  adventurers  to  the  farm  and 
the  first  rude  growth  of  Dustindale,  little  Cynthia 
was  sent  to  her  own  home  and  Miss  Hatty  returned 
to  Dalecourt.  She  wanted  to  take  Arthur  with 
her,  but  he  begged  so  hard  to  be  allowed  to  stay 
where  he  was  a  while  longer  that  his  grand 
father  consented  to  let  him.  So  they  two  lived 
quietly  on  in  the  pleasant  old  farmhouse,  that  was 
destined  ere  long  to  stand  in  the  centre  of  a  flourish 
ing  town,  the  marvellous  growth  of  which  the  boy 
watched  with  wondering  eyes. 

He  took  a  lively  interest  in  every  new  well  being 
drilled,  and  went  from  one  to  anoth'er  with  wise  bits 
of  advice,  gleaned  from  his  own  experience  both  as  a 
"  chump  "  and  a  "  sharp."  The  rig-builders,  perched 
on  lofty  derricks,  loved  to  look  down  and  see  him 
watching  them.  Sturdy  well  drillers  smiled  as  they 
saw  his  sober  young  face,  intently  studying  the  motion 
of  the  great  walking-beams  or  the  turning  of  the 


DEVELOPING  AN  OIL   REGION.  287 

temper  screws,  and  they  listened  with  amused  gravity 
to  his  decidedly  expressed  opinions  of  what  should 
be  done  or  left  undone.  Profanity  ceased  as  he 
drew  near,  and  rough  words  and  manners  were  laid 
aside  until  he  had  passed.  He  was  very  proud  of 
being  the  oldest  settler  in  the  town ;  for,  as  he  said : 
"  You  know  I  lived  here  long  before  even  you  came, 
grandpapa." 

To  his  grandfather  the  boy  was  a  never-failing 
source  of  pride  and  joy.  He  was  so  gentle  and 
lovable,  at  the  same  time  so  brave  and  practical 
and  so  unspoiled  by  all  the  flattery  and  attention 
showered  upon  him,  that  he  was  a  constant  marvel 
and  example  to  the  impulsive  old  Colonel.  To  be 
sure,  the  latter  had  never  known  much  about  boys  ; 
but  he  certainly  had  not  imagined  that,  as  a  class, 
they  were  like  this  one. 

For  the  sake  of  his  grandson,  Colonel  Dale  made 
the  most  of  the  golden  opportunities  now  presented 
to  him.  At  the  very  beginning  of  his  operations  as 
an  oil  producer,  he  had  secured  oil  leases  of  large 
tracts  of  land  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Dustin 
farm.  For  these  he  was  to  give  one  quarter  of  all 
the  oil  produced  from  them,  and  guaranteed  to  sink 


288  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

wells  upon  them  within  a  certain  time.  Now  he 
was  able  to  dispose  of  these  leases,  in  one-acre  lots, 
for  a  thousand  dollars  apiece  in  money,  and  an  agree 
ment  that  gave  him  one  half  the  oil. 

Within  ninety  days  after  the  Dale-Dustin  well 
began  to  flow,  half  of  the  Dustin  farm  had  been 
surveyed  into  town  lots,  and  sold  for  half  a  million 
of  dollars ;  while  the  other  half  was  leased  in  one- 
acre  lots  as  oil  territory,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  it  worth  as  much  more.  In  making  these 
sales,  Colonel  Dale  retained,  in  Arthur's  name,  the 
farmhouse  with  the  land  immediately  surrounding  it, 
and  the  Dale-Dustin  well. 

From  all  these  statements  and  figures,  it  will  be 
seen  that  Arthur's  plan  for  relieving  his  grand 
father's  financial  difficulties  had  succeeded  beyond 
his  wildest  dreams. 

As  the  summer  drew  near  its  close,  Colonel  Dale, 
impatient  to  escape  from  business  cares  and  the  in 
tense  excitement  in  which  they  were  living,  began  to 
place  his  affairs  in  such  a  shape  that  he  might  return 
to  Dalecourt.  Arthur,  too,  was  becoming  tired  of 
the  oil  region,  and  longed  for  a  change  of  scene. 
He  was  therefore  made  very  happy  by  being  told 


DEVELOPING  AN  OIL   REGION.  289 

that  they  would  start  for  Dalecourt  early  in  Octo 
ber,  on  the  very  day  of  the  month  that  he  and  Uncle 
Phin  had  started  on  their  memorable  journey  a  year 
before.  This  was  also  the  day  set  for  the  formal 
opening  of  the  branch  railroad  to  Dustindale. 

Brace  Barlow,  who  had  all  this  time  been  in  charge 
of  the  well  that  he  had  opened,  was  now  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  entire  Dale-Dustin  interests  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  at  a  handsome  salary.  He 
was  to  occupy  the  farm  house,  and  his  mother  was  to 

come  and  live  with  him. 
19 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

ARTHUR    REMEMBERS    HIS    FRIENDS. 

ON  the  evening  before  they  were  to  go  away, 
Colonel  Dale,  in  his  grandson's  name,  invited 
all  the  citizens  of  Dustindale  to  assemble  on  the  lawn 
in  front  of  the  farmhouse. 

It  was  a  dark  night,  but  the  lawn  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  by  hundreds  of  natural  gas  torches,  that 
produced  a  novel  and  beautiful  effect.  When  the 
guests  arrived — and  everybody  accepted  the  invita 
tion — they  found  that  they  were  to  be  entertained 
with  fireworks,  by  the  music  of  the  Dustindale  Cornet 
band,  by  an  address  from  Colonel  Dale,  and  with  a 
supper. 

The  address  was  a  short  one,  but  it  was  received 
with  tremendous  applause,  for  it  was  a  presentation, 
on  behalf  of  Arthur  Dale  Dustin,  to  Dustindale,  of 

the  plans  for  a  town-hall,  a  school-house,  and  a  li- 

290 


ARTHUR  REMEMBERS  HIS  FRIENDS.  2gi 

brary,  accompanied  by  the  money  to  build  and 
equip  them. 

Then  the  people  crowded  about  Arthur,  and 
wanted  to  shake  hands  with  him,  and  thank  him, 
and  tell  him  how  sony  they  were  that  he  was  going 
away,  and  he  tried  to  answer  every  one  who  spoke 
to  him.  He  could  not  remember  afterwards  what  he 
said  to  anybody,  it  was  all  so  confusing ;  but  it  must 
have  been  just  what  they  wanted  him  to  say,  for 
everybody  seemed  pleased,  and  somebody  said  he 
was  such  a  fine  little  fellow  that  he  should  have 
been  a  Prince.  Then  somebody  else  took  this  up, 
and  said  he  was  a  Prince,  a  young  oil  Prince ;  which 
so  pleased  the  fancy  of  the  people  that  they  at  once 
accepted  the  title,  and  cheered  again  and  again  for 
their  oil  Prince. 

The  next  morning,  when  Arthur  walked  with  his 
grandfather  down  to  the  station  of  the  new  railroad, 
where  they  were  to  take  the  train,  he  found  a  crowd 
of  people  gathered  about  and  admiring  one  of  the 
tnost  beautiful  private  cars  that  ever  was  seen. 
It  was  attached  to  the  rear  end  of  the  passenger 
train,  which  was  to  be  the  first  ever  run  over  that 
road,  and  was  so  new  and  fresh-looking  that  it 


292  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

could  evidently  never  have  been  used.  All  of  its 
outside  metalwork  was  of  gleaming  brass,  and  in 
a  central  panel,  encircled  by  a  wreath  of  roses  and 
butterflies,  was  inscribed,  in  golden  letters,  the  name 
"Cynthia." 

"  Just  look  at  that  car,  grandpapa  ! "  cried  Arthur 
excitedly.  "  Is  n't  it  a  beauty  ?  and  how  queer  that 
its  name  should  be  Cynthia." 

"It  is  strange,"  answered  Colonel  Dale  with  a 
smile.  "  Suppose  we  step  aboard  and  see  what  the 
inside  looks  like." 

They  entered  by  the  rear  door  and  found  them 
selves  in  a  beautiful  saloon  that  was  furnished  with 
a  lounge,  table,  and  easy  chairs,  and  had  large  plate- 
glass  windows  at  the  end  and  on  both  sides.  Be 
yond  this  was  an  exquisitely  appointed  bath-room, 
and  opening  from  it  was  a  large  stateroom,  furnished 
with  a  low  French  bedstead,  a  dressing-table,  writing 
desk,  and  easy  chair.  A  smaller  stateroom  opened  be 
yond  this  one.  Still  further  on  they  saw  a  dining- 
room,  at  the  sides  of  which  were  four  berths  like 
those  in  sleeping-cars.  Then  came  a  pantry,  linen 
closet,  ice  chest,  and  various  other  conveniences. 
Last  of  all  was  the  tiny  kitchen,  looking  like  a 


ARTHUR  REMEMBERS  HIS  FRIENDS.  293 

yacht's  galley,  and  hung  all  around  with  the  bright 
est  of  cooking  utensils. 

Arthur  was  charmed  with  all  that  he  saw  and 
kept  wondering  who  was  to  ride  in  this  wonderful 
palace  on  wheels.  As  he  peeped  into  the  kitchen 
he  hesitated  for  a  moment  and  then  sprang  for 
ward  with  a  cry  of  joy. 

There,  with  a  white  cap  on  his  head  and  a  snowy 
apron  tied  about  his  waist,  was  his  own  dear  old  Uncle 
Phin,  his  face  beaming  with  delighted  anticipation. 

"  Yes,  Honey ! "  he  cried,  after  the  tumult  of 
Arthur's  greeting  had  somewhat  subsided.  "  I  jes 
had  ter  come.  Ole  Unc  Phin  couldn'  trust  you  fer 
ter  trabbel  wifout  him  no  longer.  So  I  kum  to  take 
de  charge  ob  de  cookin  ob  yo  kyar." 

"  My  car ! "  cried  Arthur  in  amazement.  "  What 
does  he  mean  by  my  car,  grandpapa  ?  " 

"  He  means,"  replied  Colonel  Dale,  "  that  this  car, 
the  '  Cynthia,'  and  all  that  it  contains  is  my  present 
to  the  dearest  and  best  of  grandsons,  as  a  slight 
acknowledgment  of  what  he  has  done  and  is  doing 
for  me." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  this  is  my  very  own  car,  to 
travel  in,  and  live  in,  and  do  as  I  please  with,  grand- 


294  BORING   FOR   OIL. 

papa  ? "  asked  the  boy,  in  a  slightly  awed  tone,  as 
the  full  import  of  what  he  had  just  heard  began  to 
dawn  upon  him. 

"  Precisely  that,"  was  the  answer.  "  And  in  it, 
if  you  choose,  we  will  travel  together  over  all  the 
important  railways  of  the  country,  while  you  are 
taking  a  course  of  object  lessons  in  the  study  of  how 
to  become  a  railroad  man.  How  do  you  like  that 
for  a  plan  ? " 

"  Why,  I  never  dreamed  of  one  half  so  splendid  ! " 
cried  the  happy  boy.  "  It  is  more  like  a  real  fairy 
tale  than  anything  I  ever  heard  of.'1 

Just  then  a  young  man,  in  a  handsome  blue  uni 
form  with  shining  brass  buttons,  stepped  into  the 
car,  and  touching  his  cap  to  Colonel  Dale  announced 
that  it  was  time  for  the  train  to  start. 

Arthur  stared  at  him  for  a  moment  and  then  ex 
claimed  :  "  Brakeman  Joe  !  Is  it  Brakeman  Joe  ?  " 

"  Conductor  Joe,  if  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  young 
man,  looking  immensely  proud  and  pleased.  "  Con 
ductor  of  this  car,  and  at  your  orders  to  take  her 
wherever  you  may  choose  to  have  her  go." 

Then,  amid  the  firing  of  guns,  the  cheering  of  the 
assembled  people,  and  a  great  chorus  of  "  good-bye  " 


ARTHUR   REMEMBERS  HIS  FRIENDS. 

and  "  come  back  again  soon,"  the  train  moved  slowly 
off,  and  Arthur  had  begun  his  second  journey  toward 
Dalecourt.  But  under  what  different  circumstances 
from  the  other  was  this  journey  undertaken. 

As  Arthur  sat  for  a  while,  perfectly  still  and 
thinking  it  all  over,  his  heart  was  too  full  of  happi 
ness  and  gratitude  for  expression  in  words.  At 
length  he  said  : 

"  Grandpapa,  I  do  believe  that  I  am  the  very  hap 
piest  boy  in  the  world,  and  I  do  wish  that  all  other 
boys  could  be  as  happy  as  I  am.1' 

"  I  am  afraid  that  all  boys  do  not  deserve  to  be," 
replied  his  grandfather,  smiling ;  "  though,  of  course, 
a  great  many  of  them  do.  At  any  rate,  you  now 
have  it  in  your  power  to  add  very  greatly  to  the 
happiness  of  all  the  deserving  and  unhappy  boys 
whom  you  may  meet.  I  do  not  know  of  any  better 
use  to  which  you  can  put  the  great  wealth  that  has 
been  so  wonderfully  given  you ;  and  I  am  willing 
you  should  expend  just  as  much  money  as  you  see 
fit  in  that  way.  The  very  best  use  we  can  put 
money  to,  is  to  make  others  happy  with  it." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  exclaimed  the  boy,  with  flushed 
cheeks  and  sparkling  eyes  ;  "  and  I  would  rather 


296  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

spend  all  the  money  you  can  spare  in  making  people 
happy,  than  to  do  anything  else  in  the  world  with 
it.  Can  't  we  begin  with  the  people  who  were  good 
and  kind  to  me,  when  I  was  trying  to  get  to  you, 
last  year  ? " 

"  Of  course,  we  can,"  answered  Colonel  Dale. 
"I  had  thought  of  them,  and  have  planned  this 
journey  so  as  to  follow  as  nearly  as  possible  the 
same  route  that  you  and  Uncle  Phin  took,  and  find 
all  the  people  we  can  who  were  kind  to  you." 

They  began  to  carry  out  this  delightful  plan  of 
making  people  happy  that  very  day,  by  having  the 
"  Cynthia "  side-tracked  at  the  station  nearest  to 
where  the  Chapman's  lived,  and  driving  to  their 
house. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  astonishment  of  this 
kind-hearted  family  at  again  seeing  Arthur,  and 
hearing  of  all  the  marvellous  things  that  had  hap 
pened  to  him  since  they  last  met.  Mr.  Chapman 
hitched  up  his  team,  and  with  his  wife,  and  Bert, 
and  Sue,  drove  over  to  the  railway  station,  to  take 
dinner  with  Arthur  and  his  grandfather  in  the 
beautiful  car. 

There    they    renewed    their    acquaintance    with 


ARTHUR   REMEMBERS  HIS  FRIENDS,  2g/ 

Uncle  Phin,  and  made  him  feel  very  proud,  by 
praising  his  cooking,  and  eating  heartily  of  all  the 
good  things  that  he  had  provided. 

After  dinner,  Arthur  said  he  wanted  to  tell  them 
a  fairy  story,  instead  of  reading  one  to  them,  as  he 
had  done  before.  It  was  all  about  a  pretty  cottage, 
near  a  large  city,  that  had  been  bought  in  their 
name,  and  was  waiting  for  them.  There  was  also 
employment  waiting  for  Mr.  Chapman  in  that  city, 
and  schools  to  which  Mrs.  Chapman  could  send  the 
children.  In  the  cottage  waited  the  biggest  doll 
that  was  ever  seen  for  little  Sue,  while  in  the  cot 
tage  stable  waited  a  pony  for  Bert.  The  best  part 
of  this  fairy  story  was,  that  it  was  every  word  true. 

The  next  stop  of  the  "  Cynthia "  was  in  Pitts 
burgh,  where  Colonel  Dale,  and  Arthur,  and  Uncle 
Phin,  all  went  to  see  good  Aunt  Chanty,  and  left 
the  dear  old  soul  staring  in  tearful  amazement  at  a 
check  for  a  larger  amount  of  money  than  she  had 
ever  seen  in  all  her  life.  It  was  given  her  for  the 
education  of  the  twins,  who  were  to  be  brought  up 
to  "  de  whitewash  an  de  kalsomine  bizness." 

Then  they  went  to  Harrisburg,  where  Conductor 
Tobin's  little  house,  not  far  from  the  railroad,  was 


298  BORING  FOR   OIL. 

bought  and  presented  to  him,  to  be  his  very  own 
for  always,  and  where  Kitty  Tobin  was  given  the 
handsomest,  copy  of  "  Hans  Christian  Andersen's 
Fairy  Tales  "  that  could  be  procured. 

As  they  were  walking  back  to  the  car  from  Con 
ductor  Tobin's  house,  a  boy  with  a  bundle  of  papers 
under  his  arm,  stared  intently  at  Arthur  for  a 
moment,  and  then  sprang  directly  in  front  of  him 
exclaiming : 

"Don't  yer  know  me?  I  'm  de  kid  what  you 
licked  one  time." 

"  Why,  of  course  I  know  you ! "  cried  Arthur, 
holding  out  his  hand,  "  and  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you.  How  do  you  do,  Kid  ? " 

Then  the  Kid  said  his  name  was  Billy  Grimes, 
and  that  ever  since  he  heard  Arthur  read  that  story 
he  had  been  trying  to  be  something  better  than  an 
ugly  duck.  He  had  run  away  from  his  father  in 
Pittsburgh,  soon  after  meeting  Arthur,  because  the 
big  tramp  wanted  to  make  him  steal  for  a  living, 
and  had  gradually  worked  his  way  to  Harrisburg, 
where  he  was  trying  to  be  an  honest  newsboy. 

The  result  of  this  fortunate  second  meeting  with 
Arthur  was  that,  in  less  than  a  month  from  that 


ARTHUR  REMEMBERS  HIS  FRIENDS.  299 

time,  Master  William  Grimes  was  entered  as  a  pupil 
in  one  of  the  best  military  schools  of  the  country. 
There  he  is  working  so  hard  and  doing  so  well  that, 
before  long  nobody  will  remember  that  he  ever  was 
an  "  ugly  duckling." 

In  Washington  Colonel  Dale  went  to  call  on  an 
old  friend,  and  took  Arthur  with  him.  To  the  boy's 
surprise  and  delight,  this  friend  proved  to  be  the 
very  gentleman  to  whom  he  had  sold  his  dog  Rusty. 
The  dog  was  still  there,  and  manifested  such  ex 
travagant  joy  at  again  seeing  his  former  master  that 
the  gentleman  laughingly  said  it  would  be  cruel  to 
part  such  loving  friends  any  longer.  So  the  dear 
dog,  now  more  handsome  and  knowing  than  ever, 
was  again  presented  to  the  boy  who  had  once  fought 
to  save  him  from  a  beating,  and  Arthur  said  this 
was  the  happiest  thing  of  the  whole  journey. 

The  next  day  they  were  once  more  at  Dalecourt, 
and  the  very  first  person  Arthur  saw,  standing  in 
the  doorway  as  he  and  Rusty  sprang  from  the  car 
riage,  was  Cynthia.  Colonel  Dale  had  invited  her 
to  come  to  Dalecourt  to  be  educated  and  to  live  as 
his  daughter,  and  her  father  had  consented  that  she 
should. 


3OO  BORING  FOR   OIL, 

Miss  Hatty  bad  been  engaged  all  summer  in 
restoring  Dalecourt  to  even  more  than  its  former 
glory,  so  that  now  it  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
places  in  Virginia. 

Here  we  must  leave  the  boy  whose  wanderings 
and  fortunes  we  have  followed  for  a  year.  Although 
he  is  no  longer  poor,  he  studies  and  works  just  as 
hard  as  though  he  were,  and  is  all  the  happier  for 
so  doing.  He  is  still  detennined  to  be  a  railroad 
man  wrhen  he  grows  up,  and  he  still  finds  his  chief 
pleasure  in  turning  other  people's  sorrow  into  hap 
piness. 

On  that  first  evening  at  Dalecourt  Miss  Hatty 
went  up  to  his  room  to  take  away  the  light  after  he 
had  gone  to  bed.  He  was  just  dropping  to  sleep 
as  she  bent  over  him,  and  kissing  his  forehead  said 
softly :  "  Good-night  and  pleasant  dreams  to  you, 
my  dear  little  Prince  Dusty ! " 

THE   END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


-, 


MOV  16  1962, 


Form  L9-50m-4,'61(B899484)444 


a? 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
III    II    III    II    II    IMII   III    I 


AA      000071043    4 


PS 


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mi 


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^in; 


